A NEWSAGENT sold fireworks to a 13-year-old girl sent into the shop by trading standards officers.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the girl was told to "help herself" from an open cabinet when she asked to buy a packet of rockets.

And at no stage did shopkeeper Mark Edward Richardson ask how old she was or request any form of identification, the court heard.

Richardson, of Glendale Drive, Mellor, owner of Whalley News, King Street, Whalley, pleaded guilty to supplying goods prohibited by safety regulations and failing to store explosives safely or securely.

He was fined a total of £450 and ordered to pay £300 towards the costs of the prosecution brought by Lancashire County Council Trading Standards Department.

Nicholas McNamara, prosecuting, said the test purchase had been set up following a complaint by a member of the public.

On the day, three days before Bonfire Night, a trading standards officer, posing as a customer, entered the shop shortly before the 13-year-old girl.

The officer then witnessed the transaction.

Mr McNamara said the cabinet containing the fireworks did not have a lid and opened into the public area of the shop.

When interviewed Richardson accepted selling the fireworks and told the officers he was tired having been up since 3am and he had not really looked at the girl.

He accepted there were no notices up explaining it was illegal to sell fireworks to anyone under the age of 18.

When asked why he hadn't renewed his explosives licence he said he believed it ran for two years.

Richardson, who was not represented by a solicitor, said he could not dispute the facts presented by the prosecution.

He said that the glass lid of the fireworks cabinet had been broken during cleaning just two days before the offences.

He said: "I don't intend to sell them again, it's just a nightmare."

The prosecution came on the day when local MPs welcomed a proposed crack down on firework sales.

A Private Members' Bill has received its second reading in the House of Commons.

Backed by the Government, it seeks to ban fireworks or restrict sales making it harder for young thugs to terrorise residents, pets and wild animals.

It would also give local councils greater powers to ban irresponsible shopkeepers from selling fireworks.