SCHOOL holidays are a nightmare time for staff at a Kidderminster tobacconist, as they are abused, spat at and threatened by youngsters too young to be sold cigarettes.

Female assistants at T H Hunter in Oxford Street suffered more than usual levels of abuse by different groups of teenagers during the recent half-term holiday.

One employee - who asked not to be named - said: "We have had it for years but that week was particularly bad."

Police have been called in the past but the children usually disappear before they arrive.

The assistant said identity cards would solve the problem of abusive youngsters getting angry at not being sold cigarettes or tobacco.

"Everybody seems to be against ID cards except the people for whom they would be useful," she said, "If everyone carried them we would know whether they were 16 or not and there would be no argument."

She added that staff also frequently faced the unpleasant task of cleaning up urine and vomit from the shop doorway before they could open up in the mornings after unruly youths had drunk more than they could manage.