Police blitz illegal alcohol sales (From Free Press Series)

Police blitz illegal alcohol sales

IN THE fourth in a series of articles looking at youth crime and disorder in Torfaen, Adrian Osmond looks at the role alcohol plays in crime - and what is being done to restrict its availability.

UNDERAGE drinking is linked with vandalism and violence. It upsets and scares people to see drunks on the streets, especially young ones. It can result in long-term health problems.

Yet recent tests have shown that over a third of shopkeepers were willing to defy the law and sell alcohol to children.

Off-licences are in the front line of efforts to keep kids sober. The law states shops cannot sell alcohol to customers under 18 but staff in many shops find it difficult to tell how old they are.

Torfaen council's trading standards department is aiming to stop that happening. They are educating shops on their duties - and carrying out test purchase 'sting' operations designed to catch out those which continue to flout the law.

TRADING standards officers are testing local shopkeepers.

They have recruited volunteer children aged 14 or 15 go into shops and try to buy alcohol. If they are asked their age they tell the truth, so there should be no excuse for shopkeepers who sell to them. The results have not been good.

According to Andrew Meaney, senior fair trading officer, in the past 12 months, 38 test purchases resulted in 14 sales. That means 37 per cent of shops sold alcohol to obviously underage customers. Some of those shopkeepers ended up in court with hefty fines.

"This programme is all about stopping anti-social behaviour," said Mr Meaney. "Having gangs of teenagers drinking in the street causes a big problem. Everyone with a liquor licence has received a letter telling them we may be calling.

"We aren't trying to trap people. This is purely about preventing sales of alcohol to children. Magistrates are coming down hard on this now. Hopefully the message is going out that the risk of selling alcohol without checking a person's age isn't worth taking.

"Shopkeepers should ask to see a photo id and if still in any doubt they should not sell."

Anyone wanting more information on the law or to talk about underage drinking in their area can call trading standards on 01633 648384.