A SHOP faces losing its licence after staff sold alcohol to under-age customers who were working with police to carry out test purchases.

Sussex Police have asked Brighton and Hove City Council to revoke the licence for Moonlight in Church Road, Hove.

The request was made after two boys – a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old – bought beer on separate occasions four months apart.

The force carried out an alcohol test purchase operation in Hove from July last year after an increasing number of alcohol-linked incidents involving young people on Hove Lawns.

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A report to a council licensing panel, which is due to hold a licence review hearing tomorrow morning, said that last August a 15-year-old bought a large bottle of Stella from Moonlight.

The staff member who sold the beer was later fined and a formal letter was sent to the shop’s designated premises supervisor (DPS), Girgis Townyous Saleeb.

In September, the premises licence holder Tony Gad applied to the council to take over as the DPS from Mr Saleeb.

Additional conditions were added to the licence in September, with measures that included an end to the sale of strong beer and cider.

But in December, a 16-year-old boy bought a bottle of Sol from a new member of staff at the shop.

After the second failed test purchase, Mr Gad shared his staff training logs with Sussex Police.

In an email to Sussex Police, he said: “We have acknowledged the fact that an error was made by one of the newly employed staff members.

“We have since taken further procedures and actions to avoid the recurrence of such an incident in the future.”

Inspector Michelle Palmer-Harris said: “Sussex Police do feel this premises have responded to our stepped approach and have worked with us to try to improve.

“But they have still failed under-age test purchases on two separate occasions involving two different members of staff.

“This is a serious concern, undermining the licensing objective of protection of children from harm, and further action should be considered.

“As conditions were added on Friday 3 September 2021, Sussex Police have no further conditions to add to prevent the sale of alcohol to under-age persons.

“It is difficult to see what further measures could be put into place to prevent future sales of alcohol to under-age persons.

“Therefore, the recommendation of Sussex Police would be the revocation of the premises licence.”