Police and Trading Standards in Swansea are urging licensed premises to check young people for ID when selling alcohol to them.
The call comes after a test purchase exercise carried out last month resulted in half of the businesses selling alcohol to 15-year-old volunteers.
Five of the ten premises visited by the test purchase volunteers supplied alcohol without any challenge of the age of the purchaser or any request for proof of age.
Martin Saville, Head of Environmental Health Services in Swansea Council, said: “We’re aware of the amount of disruption that the misuse of alcohol causes within local communities and we will make retailers who are negligent in supplying drinks to minors responsible for their actions.”
Community Safety Sergeant Dean Evans said “The Police are very disappointed with some retailers for not challenging young people. Positive action will be taken by Police for every breach.”
During the last 12 months, 126 test purchases have been undertaken during 10 different exercises. Thirty sales have been made, resulting in a variety of different enforcement actions including the issue of fixed penalty notices to staff responsible for the sales and warnings, cautions or prosecution of the business where the sale was made.
Licensed premises are also being subjected to a licence review when it becomes evident that the business is not being managed effectively.
Mr Saville added: “Recent changes in the law mean that if two illegal sales are made within three months then magistrates can be asked to suspend the licence for a period up to 48 hours, preventing alcohol being sold from that premises.
“We fully intend to use this power to improve the manner in which premises selling alcohol are managed.”
