A tanning salon owner was caught in a sting operation selling an illegal sunbed session to a young girl.

Donna Nails and Tanning, based in Welling High Street, faced two charges of flouting regulations which prohibit sunbed businesses from allowing under 18s to use their sunbeds.

A 16-year-old girl was acting as an undercover agent for Bexley’s Trading Standards and entered the tanning salon on October 26 for a test purchase.

She was sold a sunbed session and the business then committed a further offence by allowing her into the restricted sunbed zone.

The girl did not go ahead with her tanning and instead reported back to Trading Standards.

Mrs Huong Thi Thanh Nguyen, 38 of Heath Road, Crayford, was the owner of the business and was represented in court by her solicitor.

Guilty pleas were entered for both charges and the defendant was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and £150 victim surcharge for the offence of selling the sunbed session to a minor.

No separate sentence was made for the charge of allowing a minor into the restricted sunbed zone.

In sentencing, the magistrates adopted comment by the borough’s solicitor, saying there was a clear breach of legislation designed to protect underage people which could endanger their health.

Bexley Council said that it takes any breach of legislation designed to protect the health of minors extremely seriously and its Trading Standards team will continue to crack down on businesses found to be flouting such legislation.