Warning after shops caught in campaign
By Emma Brennan
Monday, January 9, 2012
11:25 AM
POLICE in Sudbury said they were “disappointed” to find three shops in the town selling alcohol to under-age customers, despite an ongoing campaign targeting antisocial behaviour in the area.
Three stores in, or close to, the town centre have been issued with warnings after being caught selling alcohol to under-age people during a joint operation between Suffolk police and Suffolk County Council Trading Standards just before Christmas.
Out of the five shops that were targeted, one was also found to be selling tobacco to people under the age of 18.
Sgt Kevin Horton, of Sudbury police, said that during the operation, teenagers were sent into shops to attempt to buy alcohol or tobacco and then reported their findings.
Sgt Horton said: “There were five premises tested and three failed in relation to under-age sales of alcohol and another for tobacco.
“Three out of five shops is an unsatisfactory result given the low percentage across Suffolk as a whole, recorded during this county-wide operation.
“We have been doing a lot of work around anti-social behaviour so we are disappointed that there are still shops selling to under-age people.
“The message should be getting through not to sell to those under age, and to ask for identification if in doubt.”
Sgt Horton said all three traders who sold alcohol received fixed penalty notices. Trading standards would be following up with all of the store owners to educate them further. Officers would be working with off-licences to help them improve, and more checks would be carried out later this year.
Trading standards recently announced that it had seen a major breakthrough across Suffolk in relation to cutting under-age alcohol sales.
In a co-ordinated effort with local traders, under-age alcohol sales had been slashed from 60% to just 4% in inspected premises across the county over a seven-year period.
Trading standards attributed the drop to the introduction of training sessions and the use of simulated sales situations such as those used in the Sudbury operation.
County-wide, out of eight operations, five produced a 0% failure rate.
If traders are caught selling alcohol to children under the age of 18, they could lose their licence and face a fine of up to £5,000.
If members of the public purchase alcohol for anyone under the legal drinking age, they are also committing a serious offence.
Anyone with any information regarding the sale of alcohol to children can call Consumer Direct anonymously, on 08454 040506.
