The owners of an off-licence in Watford pleaded guilty to selling cigarettes to a 15-year-old girl four years after they were prosecuted for supplying alcohol to an underage customer.

Bharat Vakani and Mayur Vakani, who run Dilesh Food and Wine, in Eastbury Road, were fined more than £1,000 after they were caught during a test purchasing scheme in April this year.

Mayur Vakani, 54, who handed the cigarettes to the underage volunteer, was fined £500 and ordered to pay legal costs of £150 and £15 to a victim fund.

Meanwhile, Bharat Vakani, 52, was fined £300 with £150 costs and £15 to a victim fund.

Entering guilty pleas at Watford Magistrates' Court on Friday, November 6, both men were given credit for their admission.

Both men had previously been prosecuted by Hertfordshire Trading Standards for selling alcohol to a person under 18 in 2005.

Keith Emsall, executive member for community safety and culture at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "Under-age sales of cigarettes or alcohol is not something that we are prepared to tolerate. Anyone selling age-restricted goods should adopt a 'Challenge 21' policy - if a customer looks under 21, then they should be asked to prove that they are 18.

"We hope that court cases such as this will serve as a deterrent and offending shopkeepers will buck up their ideas."

Members of the public can report shops that are selling alcohol or cigarettes to underage customers to Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.