Sussex Police is taking its case to a local authority licensing panel after staff at a Worthing-based Tesco Express sold booze to under-18s. Colleagues at two Tesco Express branches in Crawley also fell foul of a police-driven alcohol test purchase campaign.
The Downland Drive, Worthing, outlet sold alcohol to 15-year-old shoppers three times in 21 days. A decision about the Crawley licences is expected in mid-February after an earlier hearing was adjourned.
Sussex Police violent crime reduction manager Jean Irving said Tesco was not being singled out, as a Somerfield and some independent retailers had also been caught in the swoop, which resulted in fixed penalty fines being issued.
She said Tesco managers failed to attend follow up advice meetings, having been told not to by management. A Tesco spokeswoman confirmed this, saying, “there was a misunderstanding about the nature of the meeting and we are sorry.”
