MORE shopkeepers face picking up a criminal record in the future - for selling alcohol to children.

Court action is being considered against several off-licences in East Cleveland.

Teenage volunteers have been sent by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council officials into 27 stores and have been sold alcohol at 15 of the premises. Now the council is warning that prosecutions will follow.

In the latest visits to six premises in Redcar and Guisborough, three independent traders and one national retailer agreed sales to 15-year-old girls, who were council volunteers.

In June, the same teenagers showed proof-of-age cards, but were still sold alcopop-type drinks on three out of five occasions.

The council said it was considering whether to prosecute the shopkeepers who sold alcohol to the girls in June, and it pledges to follow up the latest cases with the intention of legal action.

Since January last year, when the council was given the responsibility for enforcing the 1964 Licensing Act, test visits have resulted in 15 sales from 27 visits.

Coun Joyce Benbow, cabinet member for community safety, said: "These are very disappointing figures. Our enforcement work will continue over the summer with the aim of impressing on the trade that sales of alcohol to under age children in our borough will not be tolerated."

Howard Turton, the council's principal trading standards officer said: "We are continually warning licensees about the probability of prosecution for selling to under-18s so they should not be surprised we are committed to tackling the problem in this way."

Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for public protection said: "Incidents of this kind are reported to us on a regular basis by members of the public and have been linked directly to anti-social behaviour problems throughout the town. With the help of our young volunteers we will be extending our already extensive enforcement programme over the coming months."

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: "Not only do the licensees risk their licence, but anyone caught selling drink to under 18s can be taken to court where they face a fine of up to £1,000."