TWO York shop workers who sold alcohol to a child have been stung by court fines.

Trading standards officers in York today revealed the duo were the first in a wave of similar prosecutions due before magistrates in coming weeks.

As the clampdown on shop staff who supply young louts with booze gathers pace, council officials warned: "If you sell drink to under-age kids we will take you to court."

City magistrates heard Angela Mary Alexander, of Beckfield Lane, Acomb, was working at Inner Space Station, Boroughbridge Road, on January 22, when a 15-year-old boy tried to buy a bottle of Budweiser.

She sold him the alcohol - and the boy also managed to buy Budweiser in Martins Early To Late shop, in Hamilton Drive West, on the same day. Angela Louise Clark, of Tudor Road, Acomb, carried out that sale.

Neither shop assistant knew the boy was carrying out an undercover sting for City of York Council trading standards as part of its campaign to stop under-age alcohol sales in the city.

Alexander and Clark both pleaded guilty to selling alcohol to a child under 18. Both were fined £100 with £50 costs.

Trading standards officers confirmed that the boy, working in accordance with Home Office guidelines during the test buy, looked his age. Speaking after the case, Colin Rumford, head of trading standards at York council, said 20 more cases, involving shop staff and pub bosses, were in the pipeline.

He said the prosecutions are part of a new "zero tolerance" crackdown through the Safe City Campaign against yobbish antisocial behaviour, aimed at curbing illegal booze sales.

Mr Rumford said: "At the end of the day, these workers are the final line of defence to prevent a sale. It's up to them to ask for ID if the customer does not look 18."

He said underage drink sales were a major problem in York - a council survey last year showed up to 37 per cent of retailers were selling drink to youngsters.

He said test purchases were ongoing in hotspots across York. But shops were also told about training they could give staff to prevent court appearances.

"We won't hesitate to prosecute where we see offences committed," added Mr Rumford.

A change in policy in 2003 allowed council officers to prosecute after "test purchases", rather than issuing cautions.

Staff at Inner Space Station and Martins declined to comment on the court cases when contacted yesterday by the Evening Press.

Updated: 10:50 Friday, August 13, 2004