Two test purchasing operations involving young volunteers have been carried out in Dundee this year.

In the first, three premises out of 52 sold tobacco to the children, but in the second, six out of 15 shops sold either tobacco or lighter fuel.

Formal warnings have been issued to the retailers along with advice that any further breaches will be recommended for prosecution.

The council’s head of environmental health and trading standards, Albert Oswald, said test purchasing operations using under age children had only recently been permitted in Scotland.

Stringent conditions are attached to the use of young volunteers including being accompanied by covert trading standards officers at all times, parental consent and risk assessment of the premises visited.

Volunteers aged between 13 and 14-and-a-half were recruited from two Dundee schools and underwent full training before taking part in the test purchasing operations.

“Full Press coverage was given to the intention to test purchase tobacco products and every retail outlet in Dundee was visited by officers to highlight the issues and distribute guidance material on the steps to take to prevent sales of age-restricted products to young people,” Mr Oswald said.

He said the results proved that a significant proportion of retailers in Dundee were supplying young people with age-restricted products that are injurious to health.

Councillor Sturrock said, “I am absolutely shocked that our pilot programme to check the scope of the problem in Dundee came up with these results.

“We will now be moving forward to continue this vital project and to ensure that the appropriate sanctions are imposed on shopkeepers who are putting the lives of youngsters at risk for the want of a few pence of extra profit.

“This is about protecting children from harm and the young people who volunteered for this task deserve our congratulations.”