Surrey County Council prosecuted the supermarket chain, accusing it of putting the health and education of school-age staff at risk. Child employment officer Ian Hart called the company's attitude "appalling", following the discovery at its Leatherhead store of breaches of regulations requiring school-age workers to be issued with a permit and limiting their hours.
The company pleaded guilty at North West Surrey magistrates' court to 12 charges and asked for nine other offences to be taken into consideration.
Last Friday it was fined 6,600 and ordered to pay 350 costs.
Offences included employing 15- and 16-year-olds into the evening on several days of the same school week. One 15-year-old worked 18 hours in one week. The maximum that school-age young people can work in a school week is 12 hours.
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