SUCCESSFUL prosecution of a borough shopkeeper selling alcohol to minors has delighted Richmond upon Thames Council - particularly amidst the national furore over our binge-drinking culture'.

Mr Kanagaratname Sivachandran, owner of KSN off licence in White Hart Lane, Barnes, has pleaded guilty in Richmond Magistrates' Court to selling alcohol to a 15-year-old and was ordered to pay a £350 fine and £250 costs.

Responsibility for prosecuting shops selling alcohol to children was given to local authorities in 2002 and Richmond council say they have taken full advantage of this change in legislation. Their prosecution of Sivachandran was the result of a sting' operation involving trading standards officers and a 15-year-old volunteer.

In January this year, council leader Tony Arbour announced his wish for the borough's culprits to be named and shamed' and detailed 800 inspections of premises taking place in 2004, along with a series of sting' operations - using a child volunteer to test if shopkeepers are prepared to break the law.

This week, Cllr Arbour spoke of Sivachandran's prosecution: "I am delighted with this result. It sends a clear signal that this council is serious about cracking down on underage drinking and the sort of anti-social behaviour that it often leads to.

"This action is part of our strategy for making Richmond the safest borough. At present we have two more cases pending and our officers will continue to target those traders who we believe may be flouting the law."

On Monday the government unveiled its Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for combating excessive alcohol consumption and related crime and behaviour.

It involves a list of measures, including on the spot fines for landlords serving alcohol to under-18s and targeting shops suspected of selling alcohol to minors - including police carrying out sting' operations.

Cllr Arbour spoke critically this week of the governments new strategy. He said: "In Richmond we are already doing much of what the government is now recommending. This strategy offers little that is new. To keep the borough safe we need to be properly resourced by government.

"We already employ Police Community Support Officers and carry out sting' operations on premises where drink is sold to the young - but this has to be funded by Council Tax payers.

"Government is speaking with two voices, it wants the de-regulation of licensing so that it will be possible to drink round the clock; but it also expects strict control over this drinking. We Richmond council want to determine our own policy.

"The governments strategy is a one size fits all solution that merely meddles in our affairs without giving us the support we need."