THE landlord of one of Winchester's most popular bars has been fined £3,000 for letting underage youths buy alcohol.

Jonathan Turpin, landlord of Moloko Bar in The Square, was fined after being found guilty of the charge at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court.

Turpin, 34, was at the bar on November 7 last year when police carried out a raid and found six people under 18 in the 250-capacity venue who had bought alcohol.

Police say they will now lobby magistrates to withdraw Moloko's licence despite Turpin standing down as licensee earlier this year.

The court heard how Turpin claimed the minors had probably used fake identification to get in.

Turpin, of Broughton near Stockbridge, said that he tried his best to keep minors out.

Just a few months before the raid, the bar switched from having its own door staff to hiring from the Southampton-based Big Security Company.

Turpin said Winchester City Council encouraged the move, as Big Security staff carried badges from the authority to prove they were qualified.

One bouncer supplied by Big Security was Alex Blake-Pink, 20, who was on door duty on November 7.

He told the court he was not fully qualified when the raid took place and only held a provisional council badge.

But magistrates decided Turpin did not do enough to warn Mr Blake-Pink about under-age drinkers.

Chairman of the bench John Stainton, added: "The doorman was only provisionally qualified and had little experience."

Turpin was found guilty of selling alcohol to under-18s and fined £3,000 with £225 costs.

He was acquitted on a further six charges of knowingly selling alcohol to under-18s.

Outside the court, Turpin said he felt let down by the council and he plans legal action.

"I'd question why Winchester City Council is giving people a badge if they haven't passed an exam," he said

A council spokesman responded by saying Mr Blake-Pink was adequately trained.

Jason McCarthy, of the Big Security Company, said: "My company has for the last four-and-a-half years had the British Standard 7885 and 7960 certificates. We followed procedures all the way through."

David Heath, 58, of St Anne Street, Salisbury, a management consultant at the bar, was found not guilty of knowingly selling alcohol to under-18s.