A GROVE shop has been banned from selling alcohol after staff repeatedly served underage youngsters.

Community leaders have welcomed the news that McColl’s, in Millbrook Square, has had its liquor licence removed.

Last week, magistrates confirmed the Vale of White Horse District Council’s decision to ban the store after staff were caught selling alcohol to 14 and 15-year-olds five times between July 2003 and August 2008.

Magistrates said they were not confident the shop could prevent any further underage sales and refused to hand the store back its licence, a Vale council spokesman said.

It is the first time the district council has been forced to revoke a store’s alcohol licence.

The chairman of Grove Parish Council, Frank Parnell, said: “If they will insist on selling it without the proper controls, then they deserve to have their licence taken away. It is totally irresponsible.

“We have a lot of problems around that area with underage drinking and selling alcohol to youngsters only exasperates the problem.

“The rules are there for a reason and not to be broken.”

Wantage and Grove youth worker Gary Kingett said: “It’s only right and proper that we should make it as difficult as possible for young people to get alcohol.

“Underage drinking is increasing, not decreasing, and young people will try what is necessary to get their hands on alcohol.

“It was very irresponsible of the shop.”

Representatives from McColl’s appeared at Didcot magistrates court last week to appeal against the council’s decision.

But magistrates agreed the store had committed a “grave breach” and that the council was right to revoke the licence.

Six test purchasing operations were jointly carried out by licensing officials from the Vale council, Oxfordshire County Council trading standards officers and Thames Valley Police.

The store passed just one, in May last year, and failed its final one last August.

Richard Farrell, the Vale council’s executive member for licensing, said: “In selling alcohol to those under the age of 18, McColl’s not only repeatedly broke the law, but continually let the local community down.

“The failure to adhere to licensing laws or implement changes required by the licensing conditions demonstrates that the shop clearly put profit before the health and wellbeing of young people in the area, which is totally unacceptable.

“Hopefully, other shops throughout the Vale, and further afield, will take this as a serious warning that selling alcohol to the underaged will not be tolerated.”

Thames Valley Police licensing officer Tony Cope said: “Underage drinking is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with robustly.”

Richard Webb, deputy head of Oxfordshire County Council trading standards, said: “Underage drinking affects us all and as such we all have a responsibility to ensure that it doesn’t continue.”

The McColl’s store manager refused to comment.

Steve Missen, 59, owner of Smiths DIY, also in the Millbrook Square precinct, said: “If you sell alcohol to people not old enough, that’s what happens.

“The law is there and we have to follow it.”