TWO AYR bar staff have been let off the hook after a missing 16-year-old girl was found boozing in a local pub.

Alistair David Catterson and Lenka Hudcova, who work in the West Kirk - owned by JD Weatherspoon - were given a reprieve after licensing chiefs reviewed CCTV footage of the girl - who was accompanied by a man believed to be in his 40s - buying alcohol at the bar.

And in an ironic twist, it was found that Councillor Ian Douglas, a panelist on the licensing board, was at the bar at the same time as the girl, standing less than a meter away while she was being served.

Councillor Douglas admitted that he had no suspicions about the girl's age - as his fellow board members agreed she looked older than 18 - which contributed to the decision not to strip the staff members of their licences.

Speaking after reviewing the footage, Councillor Douglas said: "On the CCTV there was a number of people who served the young lady.

"I'm usually in the West Kirk two nights a week. Anybody who was watching the video closely would notice I was standing next to the young lady waiting to get served.

"While I don't remember the incident I would have remembered if alarm bells had rang in my head that that girl was under age." Solicitor Archie MacIver, of Brunton Miller Solicitors, was representing Mr Catterson and Ms Hudcova and he called the licensing laws into question. He said: "I think it's clear to any of us sitting here that the young lady certainly looks older than 18. She's a very confident young lady. She's the one that goes up for the drinks. This is no shrinking violet. We're not talking about a wee 16 year old lassie.

"I accept that where the wheels came off the bogey is that they should have used challenge 25.

"She's had Police Scotland looking for her and she's had two people here that are in bother as a result of her actions. I sometimes wonder if the person whocaused all this in the first place should be the subject of action." Police Inspector Sean Mangan added: "Our position remains the same. It would be fair to say that we accept the girl looks older than 16 and probably older than 18." The bar staff still have criminal charges hanging over them but received a degree of sympathy from licensing board chair Ann Galbraith who added: "Someone should have challenged her and they didn't but she has caused havoc which is unfortunate for the people who've been left in her wake.

"We uphold the view of the police on the grounds that the decision has been made to endorse both personal licences. There's no reason why your careers can't continue."