A shop in Deal which sold a bottle of vodka to a child has had its licence to sell alcohol revoked.
Kent Police investigated after being informed of a medical incident involving a child in the town on 31 January 2025. It was established that the 15 year old boy involved had earlier purchased a bottle of vodka at Upper Deal Convenience Store in London Road.
CCTV from the store was obtained which showed the boy had not shown anyone any proof of his age before he was allowed to buy the bottle of spirits. Kent Police also received reports the store had sold tobacco products to school children in recent months.
Licensing officers applied for a review of the shop’s alcohol licence and, following a licensing hearing at Dover District Council on Monday 7 April 2025, the store’s licence was revoked.
PC Danielle Rolfe said:
‘Businesses have a responsibility to their local community and to young people to take rules around underage sales seriously.
‘Shops that allow alcohol to be purchased by children put those children’s health in jeopardy and can contribute to issues of antisocial behaviour in their areas.
‘For this reason we will continue to investigate reports of breaches of licensing rules and bring reviews like this one when stores are not taking their responsibilities seriously.’
Kent Police is also part of the Community Alcohol Partnership scheme in Deal and Dover which sees police, local authorities, schools, and retailers work together to highlight the risks of underage drinking.