Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has admitted selling lager to underage drinkers at its Headcorn store.

A licensing review, heard at Maidstone council yesterday, considered a police request for a one-month suspension of the store's alcohol licence after two test cases conducted by Kent Trading Standards.

In the first, on February 14 last year, a 15-year-old volunteer was sold four cans of lager by a 17-year-old cashier.

In the second incident eight months later, another 15-year-old volunteer was sold four cans of lager and a box of fireworks. The cashier had challenged him but a supervisor authorised the sale.

The police told the hearing under-age drinking was a problem in the village, resulting in drunken anti-social behaviour and the need to bring in extra patrols.

In Sainsbury's defence, solicitor Robert Botkai said they were two incidents eight months apart and they were regreted by the company.

He criticised Trading Standards for "wasting taxpayers' money" by asking for a review, claiming Sainsbury's had been willing to co-operate by altering its licence conditions.

The panel of three councillors agreed on a raft of new conditions including a personal licence holder being on the premises whenever alcohol is on sale.

• For the full story see Friday's Kent Messenger.