Shopkeeper fined for selling can of cider to girl, 15, in trading standards sting

THE owner of a convenience store has been fined after a 15-year-old was sold cider in a trading standards test purchase.

Nitu Manchanda, who runs the Simply Local-Best One store at Five Lane Ends, appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court charged with selling alcohol to someone under the age of 18.

She admitted the offence but told the court the sale had been made by a family friend, who she knew only by the nickname “Rhythm”.

She also told the court her store had been plagued by problems caused by pupils at a nearby school.

Magistrates heard that trading standards carried out the test purchase on December 22, 2022 after receiving reports of underage sales.

The teenager was sold a 440ml can of Strongbow Dark Fruit cider without being asked for identification.

Waseem Raja, prosecuting on behalf of trading standards, said Manchanda, 49 of Highfield Road, was later interviewed.

Mr Raja said: “She explained that the person who had made the sale was a family friend visiting for Christmas, and she only knows the person as ‘Rhythm’. She didn’t know anything else about them.

“At the time she asked Rhythm to watch over the shop as she was on the phone with Hermes. She explained that the seller was not a paid employee.”

Manchanda represented herself in court, and said she had been on an urgent call with Hermes at the time of the sale. The store operates as a

Hermes drop off and pick up point, and was particularly busy with parcels in the run-up to Christmas.

Magistrates acknowledged it would have been a hectic time for the business, but said Manchanda should not have left an inexperienced person in charge of the shop.

She was fined £198 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £79 surcharge.