A MELROSE shopkeeper has taken issue with the legal requirement that he and his staff must only demand verification of identification from customers who look aged 25 or under if they are attempting to buy alcohol, it has emerged.

“I believe this obligation to provide proof of age should be extended to all age groups, even pensioners,” said Sandy Fairbairn at Friday’s meeting of the Scottish Borders Licensing Board.

The so-called Challenge 25 policy was enshrined in Scotland’s licensing legislation in 2011.

“It is currently difficult for shop staff to assess how old people are and then ask them to produce ID,” said Mr Fairbairn, the premises and personal licence holder of the Spar outlet in High Street.

“In my view, it would be great if everyone buying alcohol had to produce ID regardless of their age.

“It would ease the burden on staff and would eliminate what amounts to discrimination against a certain age group.” Mr Fairbairn had been cited to appear before the board because his store had fallen foul of a test purchasing “sting” operation in December last year when a 16-year-old girl was sold a bottle of Sourz Fusion by a sales assistant.

Mr Fairbairn, although not on the premises at the time, was later fined £200.

A police report acknowledged “an extremely well-run establishment” and revealed there had been no failures of subsequent test purchase operations at the shop.

Mr Fairbairn tendered his apologies to the board claiming the staff member, who had been employed for 18 months and was well aware of the procedures, had made “a gross error of judgement”.

“The shop is open from 4.30am till 10pm so I cannot be there all the time and have to trust my staff,” he explained. “I do all the staff training myself on a regular basis.” Also cited to appear on Friday was Steven Wilson of the Premier Store in Tweedbank which was also commended by the police for being “extremely well run”.

Like Mr Fairbairn, Mr Wilson was not on his premises when two 16-year-olds engaged in a test purchase operation were each sold a bottle of cider in December last year.

As the licence holder, Mr Wilson was later fined £200.

Mr Wilson offered his sincere apologies to the board and said his female shop assistant had been “very upset” when the offence came to light.

He said staff training had been intensified “to ensure this never happens again” and the shop now had a policy of not selling alcohol to anyone under the age of 21.