A TESCO Express store has been ordered to change its practices after it was caught selling a bottle of wine to a 15-year-old girl.

New conditions have been added to the license of the store on Derry Avenue in South Ockendon by Thurrock Council’s sub-committee.

It will now have to operate a “think 25” policy, retrain staff on selling alcohol, install an alert system on tills and hold a “refusal of sale” book in store.

The store had the book thrown at it after council officers, working with an underage girl, checked nine licensed premises in the area last October.

The 15-year-old was sold a bottle of rosé wine at the Tesco store and was not asked for identification or for her age.

Lucy Magill, the council’s head of public protection, said: “Thurrock Council takes its responsibilities around the sale of all age-restricted goods very seriously indeed and we regularly visit shops to check whether they are complying with the law.

“The sale of alcohol to young people can have very serious consequences. Not only can it lead to anti-social behaviour, it can also put already vulnerable people in increased danger.

“It is good the licensing sub-committee has taken this line in an incident involving a 15-year-old girl buying alcohol.”

Underage sales of restricted items can be reported anonymously by visiting the council’s website (thurrock.gov.uk) and using the search option for “underage sales”.

Other age restricted products include cigarettes, fireworks, knives, sunbeds, DVDs and video games.