PEOPLE living near two off-licences which lost their liquor permits will continue to be able to buy alcohol from the shops.

The General Dealers Store, in Low Willington, and the Spar shop, in Wolsingham, have changed proprietors since police discovered previous owners selling acohol to under-age drinkers.

Magistrates granted licences for the stores because the new owners were in no way connected with the offences.

Bill Jefferson, proprietor of the Low Willington store, opened his new business months after a covert police operation proved the previous owner was selling alcohol to people under 18.

He said: "I am totally against selling drink and cigarettes to kids. You just don't do it."

The Wolsingham Spar shop licence has been transferred to a new manager since a court case this week banned the previous proprietor from selling alcohol.

Assistant manager Helen Bicknell said: "We want all our customers to know that we can still sell alcohol as we have a licence."

Sergeant Alistair Melville, of Bishop Auckland Police, said: "We had no objections to the transers taking place. Hopefully they (the shops) will be run correctly and effectively within the laws as they stand at the present time. The current licence holders were not related to the two whose licences were revoked."

The police are continuing their campaign to crackdown on traders selling alcohol to underage youths.