TORBAY Council has secured cash to tackle pubs and clubs that sell alcohol to youngsters.

A £4,750 Department of Health grant will enable the council to send out under-cover teenagers to attempt test purchases in licensed establishments across the Bay.

It is the latest in a run of similar schemes in which young people try to buy booze from suspect premises.

A council spokesman said: "As part of our continued efforts to address the issues of potential sales of alcohol, tobacco and other age-restricted goods to young people, we carried out a test purchase operation earlier this year.

"Two 16-year-old volunteers visited seven licensed clubs or bars, and on every occasion they were asked for identification to show they were 18.

"As they were unable to produce this ID, they were quite properly either refused entry or, where there were no door staff, refused to be served with alcohol.

"We were very pleased that staff complied with the legal responsibilities placed on them by refusing to serve the 16-year-olds.

"This exercise followed another test purchase operation last December.

"Alcohol was sold to under-age volunteers in just one out of nine visits to off-licences, resulting in a written warning being issued.

"The council has now secured up to £4,750 Department of Health funding to carry out work in respect of the control of tobacco sales.

"We work closely with retailers and businesses across the Bay to ensure they are fully aware of the legal duties placed on them regarding the sales of goods to under-age people.

"We are pleased that our test purchase operations in on-licence and off-licence premises, which will be repeated, are proving successful."