A Clevedon shopkeeper has been fined for selling cigarettes to an underage person.

Kandiah Mohanakumaran, who owns KMS News in Old Street, pleaded guilty at North Somerset Magistrates Court to selling tobacco to a person under the age of 18.

Mohanakumaran did not appear before magistrates, but chose to plead guilty by post and was fined £1,070 and ordered to pay £1250 costs.

The law restricts the sale of tobacco to the under 18s.

To establish whether this was being complied with locally, a 'test purchase' exercise was carried out by the authority's Trading Standards team using volunteers aged 15 and 16 years old.

North Somerset Council's executive member for trading standards, Councillor Peter Bryant, said yesterday he was shocked that retail multiples and small independent retailers alike showed little regard for the reasonable precautions which could prevent access to tobacco by young children.

Mr Bryant said: "While I am delighted with the outcome of the prosecution, I was astonished that so many local businesses had not heeded officers' advice, with some selling to under-age volunteers twice in one day."