A shopkeeper is so scared of selling alcohol to children he has decided to shut up shop.

After his staff sold drink to youngsters twice, Nasser Bandar said his body shakes every time he serves a customer.

Sussex Police sent teenagers undercover into 300 Brighton and Hove pubs and shops between January and March to test if the law was being obeyed.

Staff were caught selling drink to under-18s 66 times in the Home Office-funded campaign.

Mr Bandar, who has run Coldean Convenience Store in Park Road, Coldean, Brighton, for the last two years, was caught twice in the “test purchasing” operations.

If he is caught again he faces a review of his licence – and Mr Bandar says the stress and constant risk has made him decide to sell up.

Mr Bandar, 47, who also runs the neighbouring All In One takeaway, said: ”The stress is too much. Every time I serve somebody my body shakes. Trading standards have been in my shop twice and caught my staff selling drink to kids.

“I have had enough and I am selling the shop. I just want to get out of it.

Mr Bandar contacted The Argus to say small businesses are being placed under too much pressure and shopkeepers like him are scared of the consequences of their mistakes.

He said: “I am against kids drinking. If you ask shopkeepers, 100% would not want to sell to the kids. But if somebody is planted on you, and they look older, when the shop is busy mistakes are going to happen.”

Inspector Vicky Harris, Sussex Police’s head of licensing for Brighton and Hove, said: “We conducted our operation based on intelligence and statistics on antisocial behaviour among young people associated with alcohol.

“It is the responsibility of people who sell alcohol to promote the licensing objective of protecting children from harm. If anyone fails three test purchases in consecutive months it is a criminal offence.”

The police operation was launched after the Home Office identified the city as one of 50 areas affected by alcohol-related crime.

Two shops are facing reviews of their licences after failing test purchases three times. Mesopotamia in York Place, Brighton, and Three 2 Four in Western Road, Brighton, will have the terms of their licences considered by a panel of councillors.

Police say they plan to revisit shops and pubs which failed one or two test purchases during the threemonth period.