A Bristol shopkeeper has been fined £500 and ordered to pay £650 costs for selling cigarettes to a young person.

Earlier this year, Bristol City Council's trading standards officers carried out a test purchase operation as part of a campaign to clamp down on illegal sales to young people.

One volunteer bought a packet of cigarettes from Amanat Ali, of Horfield Food Store & Off Licence, in Gloucester Road, Horfield, who was then successfully prosecuted.

Jonathan Martin, trading standards manager, said: "Our recent underage test purchasing operation revealed 14 out of 20 shops sold cigarettes to children.

"This is a serious offence clearly demonstrated by the fine imposed. Retailers should take note that the continued sale of age-restricted products to underage customers will not be tolerated and robust action will be taken."

Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety, Councillor Gary Hopkins, said: "I hope convictions like these will hopefully deter others from committing the same crime.

"We will continue to carry out exercises like this until shopkeepers get the message that it is their responsibility to ensure they do not sell cigarettes to young people under the age of 18."

Hugh Annett, director of public health for Bristol, said: "The younger a person starts to smoke, the more damaging and harder to quit it can be.

"We are working positively to help young people not to smoke, but on the other side we must also take action to stop them being sold cigarettes."