TWO shops had their licences to sell alcohol withdrawn after police said they had "absolutely no confidence" in management or staff.

The stores in Bournemouth both sold alcohol to under-age buyers three times in a police test purchasing campaign.

More the Merrier, of Kimber-ley Road in Southbourne, and Ararat Supermarket, of Christchurch Road in Boscombe, were both dealt with by the councillors of the licensing board.

The police report into the failures said both stores show-ed a blatant disregard for the training they had been given.

At Ararat, the joint premises licence holder, Aligul Tas, and the premises supervisor, Savas Cicek, both separately sold drink to 14-year-old girls.

The premises licence holder and supervisor of More the Merrier, Muzaffer Oksuz, sold to a 15-year-old boy.

Sgt Richard Wilson of the Alcohol Licensing Enforcement Team said afterwards: "Sales were made without challenge and it would have been extremely easy to ask for ID."

More The Merrier was also prosecuted in Bournemouth Magistrates court for persistent selling of alcohol to under-18s.

The store pleaded guilty and was given a £1,000 fine, a three-month licence suspension, and the premises supervisor's personal licence was withdrawn.

Ararat Supermarket faces the same charge at the magistrate's court on November 14.

Stores can appeal against the ban. No one from Ararat Supermarket returned a call about the ban and nobody from More the Merrier was available for comment.