Supermarket banned from selling alcohol

A TESCO store in Dalkeith has been banned from selling alcohol for two days after failing a police-operated test purchasing round.

Midlothian Council said it had imposed the ban for two days after Lothian and Borders Police submitted a report to the local council’s licensing board – but it was decided yesterday afternoon the council should lift the ban again, pending a court hearing in January.

Although the decision will allow Tesco to continue selling alcohol over the whole of the crucial Christmas trading period, if the sheriff decides to uphold the ruling in the new year, the superstore will be forced to stop the sale of alcohol for a period equal to the unexpired portion of the ban – which should have run from yesterday morning at 10am and finished at 10pm today.

If it had been imposed, it would have left customers unable to buy wines, beers and spirits for the entirety of Friday and Saturday.

The ban was lifted at around 3pm. Councillor Jackie Aitchison, chair of Midlothian Licensing Board, said: “We had imposed a two-day suspension for alcohol sales at the Tesco store in Dalkeith following a report to the board by Lothian and Borders Police.

She added: “Our duty remains to protect children and ensure the age control legislation on the sale of alcohol is enforced.”

This week is not the first time the board has imposed sanctions of the same type.

A seven-day licence suspension was issued to the premises in Dalkeith on the 22 November.