A shopkeeper has been fined thousands after selling a bottle of vodka to a teenage girl.

Bir Sing Madhang, owner of Harrow Superstores in Station Road, was fined £2,161 after pleading guilty at Willesden Magistrates court last week to breaching the Licensing Act.

The hearing came following an operation by Brent and Harrow trading standards with the help of a 14-year-old police cadet, who was not challenged at the till when buying the alcohol.

Councillor Varsha Parmar, cabinet member for Crime and Community Safety, said: “Investigations like this send a strong message to shop keepers in Harrow that if you are selling alcohol to under age customers, you will be caught out.

“It should serve as a reminder that it is the shopkeeper’s job to challenge people who look under 18 and ask for ID if they are uncertain.

“While teenage girls wearing makeup can sometimes look older than they are, the test buyers in this operation were specifically not wearing makeup.

“Underage drinking can be responsible for anti-social behaviour and could leave young people vulnerable."