Police said the illegal sales figures were 'disappointing'

A test-purchasing exercise targeted both corner shops and large national stores across the region.

Reports are being prepared for the procurator fiscal, detailing all of the sales that were made.

A police spokesman said that the failure rate among retailers in the region was "disappointing".

Trading standards said all traders had been given prior warning that the operation was taking place.

'Responsible approach'

Inspector Gordon McKnight praised officers for carrying out the exercise.

"The illegal sale of fireworks to young people is a problem that affects many people," he said.

"It is pleasing to see that trading standards are being pro-active and tackling this problem at the point of sale.

"Hopefully this will encourage retailers to take a more responsible approach to selling fireworks to young people."

Future operations are planned to target the sale of age-restricted products like cigarettes, videos and DVDs.