A shopkeeper has been sentenced for selling alcohol to a child and other offences.

Alan Brosk from Hove faced charges of selling alcohol to a child and selling counterfeit and illicit tobacco products and oversize vapes.

He appeared before Worthing Magistrates on May 16 on behalf of himself and as the sole director representing K & K Station Store in Station Parade, South Street, Lancing.

Brosk received a 12-month community order to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to the alcohol and tobacco offences

He was also ordered to pay fines totalling almost £5,000, a victim surcharge of £114 and all the prosecution costs of £3,060.

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The 37-year-old’s alcohol licence was previously revoked on February 28, 2023, by Adur District Council’s licensing sub-committee.

All the illicit tobacco and vapes seized were ordered to be destroyed.

The prosecution follows a series of inspections earlier this month in Worthing, Shoreham and Lancing as part of a joint initiative between National Trading Standards and HMRC called Operation Ce Ce.

The inspections involved West Sussex Trading Standards working with Sussex Police, Immigration Officers, tobacco detection dogs and Trading Standards regional tobacco experts.

The team visited six premises and more than 24,000 sticks of suspected illegal tobacco, 95 packets of suspected illicit hand rolling tobacco, 561 illegal e-cigarettes, over 80 non-compliant nicotine pods and 18 Apple-branded products suspected to be counterfeit were seized.

In the last financial year nearly £12 million (£11,983,479) of illegal tobacco products have been seized nationally by Trading Standards under Operation Ce Ce.

Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council cabinet member for community support, said: “This outcome sends a clear message that we can and will take action to address businesses selling alcohol to children, or selling illegal vapes and fake tobacco.

“I hope this will act as a deterrent to other businesses in West Sussex who continue to sell alcohol and vapes to children.”

Anyone concerned about illegal sales or counterfeit goods can make a report to Trading Standards online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/TradingStandards