By Aileen Robertson

ABERDOUR CASTLE souvenir shop has been given a stern warning after selling alcohol to an under-age girl.

A 16-year-old bought a miniature bottle of whisky from the coastal tourist attraction as part of Fife Constabulary’s test-purchase scheme aimed at stopping underage drinking.

Police have been sending 16-year-old volunteers, selected because they appear to be no more than their true age, into licensed premises to test if traders are operating within the law.

On September 21, just before 5pm, the girl bought a 50ml bottle of Bells Scotch Whisky while supervised by a plainclothes officer.

Historic Scotland employee Iain Langtree, who supervises the shop, appeared before west Fife divisional licensing board in Dunfermline yesterday to explain the incident.

He said selling procedures had been reviewed.

Councillors on the licensing board heard the shop passed a subsequent test purchase on October 25.

Committee chairman Councillor Andrew Brown granted renewal of the shop’s licence to sell alcohol, but with a warning. He said, “We take this very seriously. He passed his second test, otherwise we would have had to take serious action.”

Licensed traders throughout Fife were advised of the test purchase scheme last May and the scheme runs until the end of May this year.

Inspector John Jenks said the quantity of alcohol was small—two small pub measures—but the sale was still illegal. He said, “Despite being pre-warned about the campaign, this outlet failed to take the reasonable steps and supplied alcohol to a youngster.

“Aberdour Castle is not somewhere you would associate with supplying drink to under-age youths, so this is quite a surprising case.

“But even for a small place like that, if a young person goes in there and gets alcohol, word could get round and more could try to buy drink there.

“We have an obligation under the law, and also morally, to try to keep drink away from youngsters. One of the reasons for this is that it fuels anti-social behaviour.”

A Historic Scotland spokesperson said, “Staff at our licensed attractions … are made fully aware of the responsibilities involved when selling alcohol. A review was carried out after the incident at Aberdour Castle in September 2006, and a later inspection in October performed by an external body showed all procedures were being carried out effectively.”