A Winchester publican has been convicted of allowing under-age drinking.

Franco Ardani was prosecuted after an undercover police operation was launched amid growing concern at teenage drinking.

A squad of 17 officers found several juveniles among the customers at Bar Iguana, Jewry Street, at 7.30pm on September 20th last year.

Ardani (39), was summonsed on six offences under the 1964 Licensing Act.

At Basingstoke Magistrates' Court he made a last-minute change of plea to admit two allegations of allowing bar staff to sell alcohol to a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year old youth. Four other summonses of allowing alcohol to be consumed were denied and the magistrates dismissed them.

Magistrates fined him a total of £300 and ordered him to pay £75 costs.

Ardani, of Hershaw Close, Locks Heath, said: "I was not even there. I was relying on my staff and they let me down. As the person with the responsibility I have to take the flak for it."

He added: "Afterwards I had my own internal investigation and those members of staff don't work for me any more."

The police took action after a rise in teenage drinking and an increase in violence last summer that saw several drink-related, serious assaults elsewhere in the city centre.

Licensing restrictions have been relaxed in recent years and now five pubs can stay open until 2am on certain days of the week.

Winchester police said the conviction sounded a warning shot to all pubs and bars in the city. Sgt John Myall said: "We take under-age drinking very seriously and we will take steps to deal with any licensees who break the law."