A licencee whose off-licence sold alcohol to a 15-year-old has blamed pressure from underage yobs demanding booze.

Terrence Burrage, who owns Sanders Stores in the Renown shopping centre, Shoebury, was fined £600 because one of his staff sold cherry vodka to one of Southend Council's test purchasers, aged 15.

He held his hands up and pleaded guilty at Southend Magistrates' Court, but said there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.

Burrage, of Barling Road, Barling, said he was now selling up because of the trouble from crowds of yobs.

He said: "We are in a precinct, so we get youths gathering round there. I even saw some of them in court today.

"It's no excuse, but that young girl has to put up with quite a lot sometimes.

"She does her best. I try to stay late to stop people trying to buy underage booze, or even pinching it.

"I wish I could say it is the last time, but hand on heart, I can't say it will be."

Southend Magistrates' Court was told he had also been fined in 2003 after a test purchaser bought alcohol from another store he ran, Sanders Wine Store, in Southchurch Road, Southend.

But Burrage, 43, said as he had run nine off-licences over a number of years, two slips was not a bad record, and in nearly all cases underage drinkers were turned away.

He added his staff are given clear instructions and training in how to spot underage customers trying to buy not only alcohol but cigarettes and lottery tickets too.

However, prosecuting Tess O'Connell said on this occasion there had been no effort to challenge the test purchaser, who had been refused at seven other shops that night.

After hearing both sides, the bench fined him £400 and ordered him to pay £195 in costs.

However, the magistrates did not suspend or take away his licence.