Three Moray shops have been fined after being caught selling cigarettes to a youngster without checking for proof of age.
Trading Standards officers have criticised the three retail outlets which broke the law by handing over tobacco to a 16-year-old mystery shopper.
The council’s trading standards manager, Peter Adamson, said he was “disappointed” that, despite a smaller number of young people now buying cigarettes, some stores made little or no effort to ensure they were old enough to purchase them.
And he said that the recent fines imposed should “send a message” to traders that they must check all young people for identification when they are buying age-restricted items.
Mr Adamson said: “We are disappointed by the high level of failures during our recent tests.
“This highlights that retailers need to be careful not to drop their guard while selling tobacco.
“The shops that have failed this time will be factored into our future inspection plans.”
The council’s trading standards team initially carried out a string of test purchases using an 18-year-old volunteer and found that 14 shops didn’t check them for identification.
Mr Adamson said: “At 18, people are legally allowed to buy cigarettes, but if there is any doubt about a person’s age, then they need to be asked for ID.”
Officers later informed the 14 firms that they would face another test purchase in the coming weeks, whereby an underage volunteer would attempt to buy cigarettes.
During the recent operations, three of those shops failed to ask the teenager for proof of age and supplied the product without question.
Trading standards officers surveyed the sales, and informed the shopworkers their businesses would face sanctions.
Each of the firms have now been fined £150, and face the prospect of stricter penalties if they are caught selling cigarettes to youngsters without checking for identification again.
The council declined to specify the locations involved, as the penalised businesses are in remote areas and could easily be identified.
However, Mr Adamson said he welcomed a nationwide trend which showed that fewer youngsters were attempting to buy cigarettes.
He added: “There is a steady decline in younger people smoking, and we are pleased that sustained efforts to prevent underage sales have played a part in that.”