A SHOCKING two-thirds of shopkeepers sold alcohol to children in a new undercover sting' by police and trading standards officers.

Some of them supplied booze to under-age teenagers more than once, and now face having their licences taken away.

Police are to interview the worst offenders next week, and have already issued fines - and they promise to visit every off-licence in the borough. The news comes just weeks after the Bury Times revealed the scale of under-age drinking locally, when one-third of 14-17 year olds admitted binge drinking.

A team of eight volunteers, all aged 15 or 16, went undercover at 20 shops across the borough, making 88 test purchases. All the shops were chosen because of their previous history and anti-social behaviour nearby. No fewer than 14 shops sold them alcohol, and seven of them did so more than once. Police will now be asking the council's licensing panel to review' the licences of the seven who broke the law more than once, within the next few weeks. Seven of the 14 stores were in Bury, two in Ramsbottom, and five in Radcliffe. Of the seven multiple offenders, four were in Radcliffe, and three in Bury. Names are not being released until the shopowners have been interviewed.

Inspector Bryn Williams, of Bury Police, said action will be taken against all 14 shops. And Councillor Michelle Wiseman, executive member for safe and secure communities, said: "We will do all we can to stop these shops selling to children again. If that means prosecuting the owners and shutting them down, so be it."