As Christmas approaches, Denbighshire’s Trading Standards, North Wales Police and Conwy and Denbighshire Licensing Sections carried out a test alcohol purchase operation on 15 licensed premises in the north of the county – and the results weren’t good.
Two 15-year-old girls were able to buy alcohol in 13 of the premises. Each premises was tested up to three times, once a night during the exercise, which was carried out on November 6, 13 and 20.
Three premises sold on three occasions, a further four premises sold on two occasions, and six premises sold on one occasion.
Sharon Frobisher, Cabinet Lead Member Safer Communities Denbighshire, said: “These results are cause for concern as much work has been done in making sure that landlords and bar staff act responsibly by refusing to sell alcohol if they believe the customer to be underage.
“There are a number of initiatives aimed at preventing underage sales and it is our duty as a council to protect the well-being of young people and to make sure that retailers are fully aware of the law.”
Chief Superintendent Simon Humphreys said: “It was disappointing that so high a proportion of licensed premises were willing to sell alcohol to children.
“However, these alcohol test purchase operations illustrate the good partnership work in Denbighshire by the Community Safety Partnership that is being done to reduce the victimization of young people, who are clearly vulnerable when they have been drinking.
“As we reduce the illegal supply of alcohol this will also help to reduce offending by young people. In the end it is adults who supply alcohol to children, so we must not simply blame young people; we will continue to work together to protect young people and local communities.”
The premises that sold on three occasions have been given the opportunity to avoid prosecution by closing for 48 hours from 7pm on Friday, December 11 until 7pm on Sunday, December 13, 2009.
The closures are to be used for staff training and enable the premises to re-open with more robust measures in place to be able to prevent underage drinking. Premises that have failed on two and three occasions will also be subject to a review.
Not closing for this period of time will result in prosecution.
Premises that have sold on one occasion will receive a formal letter of warning, and it will be noted on their house file. They will be reminded that another failure will result in a review, and another two failures will result in a further closure order.
The aim is not to prosecute offenders but to encourage and work together with landlords to ensure they are doing everything they can to prevent underage sales of alcohol – the potential revenue from fines being better put to use in improving the control measures licensees have in place for combating underage alcohol sales and consumption.
The premises that are to be subject of review will have appropriate conditions endorsed on their license to ensure that they maintain the required standards of operation.
Within Central Division Between November 08 and the end of October 09, there were 591 alcohol related offences involving young people under the age of 18.
425 of those offences involved violence against the person (72%) and 116 involved criminal damage (20%)
83 young people under the age of 18 were reported as being the victims of an alcohol related crime.
Similar operations will continue in lead up to Christmas and in the New Year, Dyna Ddigon.
For further information contact Roly Schwarz 07919 690 754
