AN off-licence has been accused of having an “utter and blatant disregard for the law” after continually failing test purchasing operations.

Police have branded the Happy Shopper, in Briercliffe Road, Burnley as having a “shocking record” after it sold alcohol to children for the fifth time in 18 months.

Now ward councillor Darren Reynolds, who has campaigned against shops selling alcohol to children, has called for its licence to be permanently revoked.

He said: “It is a shocking record and I’ve never seen an off-licence with such contempt for continually flouting the laws.

“It goes against everything public services are trying to achieve and everything that local residents want to see happen.”

The shop had its licence revoked by Burnley Council in September last year after previously being given a four week suspension.

But following an appeal at Reedley Magistrates Court in March it was allowed to sell alcohol again under a new premises supervisor.

However just six weeks after convincing magistrates that it should keep its licence, alcohol was again sold to an under-age customer police said.

Officers are calling for its licence to be permanently taken away when the Happy Shopper goes before a Burnley licencing hearing on June 29 for the third time in a year.

PC Mark Driver, licencing officer for Lancashire Police, said: “The Happy Shopper has a shocking record, this is the fifth time it has failed a test purchase since October 2008.”

He said the magistrates had been left with “little choice” but to return the Happy Shopper’s licence after they promised to introduce a raft of measures to prevent any future under-age sales.

The shop has failed police test purchasing operations once in 2008, twice in 2009 and twice so far this year.

Coun Reynolds said the system would work better if the council could deal with any appeal.

“We have to work with the legal system as it is but it would make more sense if any appeal went before a local authority panel.”

Residents backed calls for the shop to have its licence revoked.

Mohammed Akram, of Briercliffe Road, said: “If the shop has been selling alcohol to children then it shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

No-one from the shop was available for comment.