Underage drinking crackdown in Wokingham
Wokingham Borough Council trading standards officers are targeting traders who sell alcohol to underage drinkers.
The council’s trading standards team, in partnership with Thames Valley Police, recently carried out test purchasing of alcohol, using underage volunteers, at 22 premises in the Wokingham Borough.
The Wokingham project, called Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaign and was part of a national campaign aimed at eliminating underage sales of alcohol.
Between May 11 and June 22, Wokingham officers visited off-licence premises and attempts were made by the 15 and 16-year-old volunteers to purchase alcohol. Altogether 22 visits were carried out resulting in three sales being made. Trading standards officers, accompanied by a police officer, then returned to the shops and explained to the seller that they had sold alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years. In all three cases a Fixed Penalty Notice for £80 was issued to the seller.
Trading standards officers are considering the most appropriate action to be taken against the licence holders of the premises concerned. Sanctions range from an informal caution to revocation of the liquor licence.
Wokingham Borough Council’s principal trading standards officer Pauline McWilliams said: “Test purchasing is a valuable tool in our fight to stop retailers selling alcohol to underage drinkers. It is the responsibility of both the seller and the licence holder to ensure no alcohol is sold to those under 18 and we will be carrying out further tests in the future.”
The results of this exercise will combine with other intelligence to plan future test purchasing exercises in the area. Wokingham Borough Trading Standards officers regularly provide guidance to licence holders to minimise the risk of breaking the law on underage sale.
Executive member for community safety Cllr Barrie Patman said: “It is important that people who are underage do not get alcohol, both for their own health and because of the antisocial behaviour that drinking leads to. Test purchasing is a good way to catch retailers who are not taking their responsibilities seriously and is part of our efforts to cut down on this problem.”
The council’s trading standards team, in partnership with Thames Valley Police, recently carried out test purchasing of alcohol, using underage volunteers, at 22 premises in the Wokingham Borough.
The Wokingham project, called Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaign and was part of a national campaign aimed at eliminating underage sales of alcohol.
Between May 11 and June 22, Wokingham officers visited off-licence premises and attempts were made by the 15 and 16-year-old volunteers to purchase alcohol. Altogether 22 visits were carried out resulting in three sales being made. Trading standards officers, accompanied by a police officer, then returned to the shops and explained to the seller that they had sold alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years. In all three cases a Fixed Penalty Notice for £80 was issued to the seller.
Trading standards officers are considering the most appropriate action to be taken against the licence holders of the premises concerned. Sanctions range from an informal caution to revocation of the liquor licence.
Wokingham Borough Council’s principal trading standards officer Pauline McWilliams said: “Test purchasing is a valuable tool in our fight to stop retailers selling alcohol to underage drinkers. It is the responsibility of both the seller and the licence holder to ensure no alcohol is sold to those under 18 and we will be carrying out further tests in the future.”
The results of this exercise will combine with other intelligence to plan future test purchasing exercises in the area. Wokingham Borough Trading Standards officers regularly provide guidance to licence holders to minimise the risk of breaking the law on underage sale.
Executive member for community safety Cllr Barrie Patman said: “It is important that people who are underage do not get alcohol, both for their own health and because of the antisocial behaviour that drinking leads to. Test purchasing is a good way to catch retailers who are not taking their responsibilities seriously and is part of our efforts to cut down on this problem.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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