Barmaid's fine overturned after failed underage check

A barmaid who was caught in a sting operation serving underage customers has had her fine overturned.

Adele Keenlyside, who works behind the bar at the Green Tree in Bishop Auckland, was given a fixed penalty of £80 after serving alcohol to two underage test purchasers on May 20 - a boy and a girl aged 15.

However she successfully appealed the fine in Darlington Magistrates' Court on November 24, after arguing that the test purchasers looked older than they were, and that a reasonable person would not believe them to be under 18.

Avril Proud, who runs the Punch Taverns pub with her husband Geoff, welcomed the news.

She criticised the operation, saying pubs were "unfairly targeted" given the fact that the test purchasers looked much older than 15 years - the girl was 5ft10, and the boy was over 6ft.

Proud said: "The girl was not the normal height of a 15 year old. To me they looked over 21."

Proud called for a more clear procedure to be put in place when authorities are conducting sting operations.

But PC Anne-Marie Grey of Durham Constabulary said that they were "disappointed" with the outcome. She said: "At this stage we have no plans to change the way we operate. Test purchase operations are carried out to strict guidelines which all police forces follow, and are designed to address a serious issue which is a major concern for local people."

In accordance with the final stage of the mandatory code, introduced at the beginning of October, pubs must have an age verification policy in place to prevent underage sales.

The pub, which was operating a Challenge 21 scheme at the time of the incident, has since instilled a Challenge 25 scheme. Proud said: "What we are doing is going above and beyond, but nothing's enough."