An undercover operation has ended with a shop becoming the first in Dundee to be dealt a fixed penalty for selling cigarettes to a child.
The retailer which has not identified by the trading standards department paid £150.
Fixed penalties were brought in by the Scottish Parliament as part of new laws on tobacco sales. Shops that repeatedly flout the rules could end up being temporarily banned from selling tobacco products.
In the Dundee case, a 14-year-old was used in a sting operation to test whether staff were willing to sell a packet of cigarettes to someone well under the minimum age of 18.
Councillor Bob Duncan, convener of the city council’s environment committee, said: ”It is extremely disappointing that any shop in Dundee has been caught selling tobacco to young people and our officers will continue to monitor the situation.”
The new laws give local authorities the power to fine shops £200 for a first offence, with a discount for prompt payment. The penalty rises by £200 per time for each future offence and a banning order can be sought after three offences are racked up.
Responsible Tobacco Retailing, an online advice service set up by cigarette maker Gallaher, recommends that shops maintain a robust proof-of-age policy to avoid getting into trouble with the authorities.
It says that staff should ask to see documents such as a driving licence or a Young Scot card if they have any doubts about a customer’s age and should also keep a log of any instances in which they have refused a sale.