A NEWSAGENT’S caught selling double the allowed amount of alcohol during Euro 2024 has been given a five-week reprieve after being called before the licensing board.

The Shopsmart store on Haddington High Street, now operating as a Premier store, applied to East Lothian Council's licensing board for approval to extend its alcohol sales space after it was caught selling too much drink.

A report from the board’s licensing standards officer said that a visit to the shop in June found double the shelf space allowed given over to alcohol and, she said, when asked about it, she was told it was to ‘cash in’ on the Euros.

READ MORE: Haddington newsagent's had double amount of alcohol allowed

The officer also reported staff in the store giving false names on two occasions during checks, as well as having to step in and stop alcohol being sold to customers who she feared could be buying it for underage drinkers.

She also said that staff were unable to produce paperwork proving they held a licence to sell alcohol or had been through required training.

At a meeting of the board on Thursday, Alistair Macdonald, representing the shop, asked for a five-week continuation of a decision over the application to allow him a chance to train staff at the store himself and ensure that they were compliant with licensing rules and understood them.

Councillor Lachlan Bruce, board convenor, raised concerns that the shop had only held its alcohol licence for a matter of months when it was caught breaking the rules in June.

Councillor George McGuire, Haddington and Lammermuir ward member, also voiced concern, telling the board: “That corner of the High Street has become a magnet for young people hanging around.”

READ MORE: Premier store plans in Haddington given green light

However, the board agreed to allow a five-week continuation to give Mr Macdonald an opportunity to train staff, with the licensing standards officer saying that they would carry out additional visits to the shop during the period and report back.

Speaking about the sale stopped during a visit, the officer said in her report to the board: “I asked why [the staff member] was about to put the sale through without asking for lD, at which point one of the young men immediately left the shop and the other became aggressive, saying he had lD.

“He then left after being advised there were other ongoing issues.

"In my opinion, it was clear that this was potentially a proxy sale and Challenge 25 should have been conducted for both customers.”

The case will be brought back to the next board meeting at the end of November.