Shops and pubs sold booze to children
Shops and pubs where staff sold alcohol to children in a sting operation were today being named and shamed by police.
For the first time, officers have made public the names of businesses in Leicester which broke the law – in some cases on several occasions – on underage sales.
The 11 businesses, chiefly in the Belgrave, Clarendon Park and Uppingham Road areas of Leicester, all agreed to sell alcohol to a 15-year-old child in a series of undercover visits in January.
The businesses have all be warned they could lose their licences if they fail further tests.
In most cases, the shop assistants or bar staff who agreed to make the sales were issued with £80 fines on the day.
Those who have failed more than one test now face the permanent or temporary loss of their alcohol licences.
Police and residents said the sale of alcohol to young people often fuelled anti-social behaviour in the streets around rogue traders.
Chief Inspector Andy Sharp said the overall failure rate was "incredibly disappointing".
He said: "Clearly, warnings and £80 fines for sales assistants caught selling alcohol to under-18s are not having an effect.
"The threat that the licence holder may lose their licence and therefore their livelihood also seems to be having little impact.
"We hope that publicly naming and shaming premises may finally get the message across to licence holders that we mean business."
The force also named businesses which passed the tests to recognise their responsible approach to selling alcohol, Mer Sharp said.
One of the businesses which fell foul of the sting said he had learned his lesson.
Ashok Odedra, owner of Kandy's News, in Uppingham Road, said he has since sacked the member of staff who served the young girl.
He said: "There's no excuse, but they came at a busy time and the young person looked older than she was.
"The member of staff did serve her, but we are taking steps now to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"I don't disagree with what the police are doing, but it can be difficult for shops sometimes."
Three bars and shops in the Melton Road area of Belgrave failed the test, while 10 others passed.
Maureen White, a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator in Belgrave, said youths – some as young as 10 – were drinking in public near her home last summer. She said: "It's good people know who sells alcohol to young people.
"But you can't tell me parents don't know when their children have been drinking.
"They have as much responsibility as the shops if we're going to stop young people developing problems with alcohol."
In total, since January, police in the city have carried out test purchases at 66 off-licences and bars. Of those, 22 sold to an underage youngster.
Anand Gandhi, manager of Bargain Booze, in Gipsy Lane, said: "We have a good record, but we got it wrong on that day.
"I've asked for identification from a 23-year-old man. He said, 'I'm here in my car – of course I'm over 18'.
"I said, 'I don't care if you come in a helicopter. If you don't have identification, I'm not serving you."
The 11 outlets
Victoria News and Booze, Howard Road, Clarendon Park; Talbot public house, Thurcaston Road, Mowmacre Hill; Bargain Booze, Gipsy Lane: Concept (Premier) Welford Road: Groby Road service station, Beaumont Leys: Why Not Bar, Melton Road: Tiranga bar, Melton Road: Bhupa News, Melton Road: Wyvern public house, Barkby Road, Rushey Mead: Lucky Superstore, Abbey Park Street, Belgrave: Kandy’s News, Uppingham Road.
11 Comments
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by you dont need to no, leicester
Monday, October 12 2009, 11:55AM
“im only 15 & i ust to get served in news & booze!!”
by Daniel, Leicester
Thursday, February 26 2009, 3:56PM
“I think the country on the whole was built on a drinking nation, we have always had the local pubs and the social aspect of drinking which is fine. In the older days you could only get drunk in a good ol fashioned pub and because of that nearly everyone knew you or your family and hence you had to wait till your 18th for a proper session!.The difference now is that alcohol is so widely available, every other shop sells it and obviously they all wnat to make some money so they will sell to anyone who wants it. Maybe we should go back to the days of local pubs and bars being the only place to drink then its something of a rite of passage when you get to 18 that you can have a real pint! yes as a boy I would pinch the booze from my mum and dads special cupboard but we didnt need to hang outside shops or even try and buy it ourselves and because of that what we could pinch was very minimal. Then when me and my mates came of age we were very proud to sit in a pub legally!!! sorry for the long rant. but I just think that alcohol is everywhere and because of that it becomes the norm where as it used to be a treat at the weekend and alot less trouble happended after.”
by OAP, leicester
Thursday, February 26 2009, 3:29PM
“RS leicester, I agree with Betty.
And yes they do sell out of date goods. Sorry to say but I buy outof date goods because sometimes thats the only way I can afford them BUT I will add I do not buy beer, I can't afford it. The under age drinkiners are not always the ones to buy the beer you know. I have seen adults asked to and they do buy for the teens wich in it's self very very wrong. How would they like it if an adult, some one who should know better bought beer for their children ....”
by RS, Leicester
Thursday, February 26 2009, 3:13PM
“¿ Dipesh I agree with 100%! Betty I don¿t think shops can sell out of date products if your that concerned why don¿t you go and complain to the store where they can do something about it! I think the drinking age should be increased to 21! Most shops follow a ¿challenge 21¿ meaning if someone looks under 21 they will get asked for ID this is obviously not working as the people who buy alcohol don¿t have a clue what that means”
by Russ Hillier, Beaumont Leys
Thursday, February 26 2009, 2:15PM
“it should also be a 2-way check, I commented on this to a young lady serving me with alcohol in my local Tesco, she appeared to be young. This was not taken as an insult but she did need to be supervised, I was then ask to produce a form of ID for the young lady to check. I was over the moon, I'm grey-haired and 50 years young.”
by Dipesh, Enderby
Thursday, February 26 2009, 2:13PM
“Taking licences off people is not getting dealing with the issue at large. It's the over 18's who buy alcohol and supply it to under 18's that is by far the major cause of under age drinking.
I realise these stings make a small difference but are not doing anything to repair our reputation as having the worst under age drinking problem in Europe.
What about the drinking problem in the city centre? How many of the trading standards officials are brave enough to go to the inner city clubs on a Friday night and see who is under age? In addition to this, I feel that the over 18's need to stop drinking so much. We are a disgraceful nation of alcoholism.”
by Lorraine Smardon, Canada
Thursday, February 26 2009, 1:31PM
“I am a Leicester girl born and bred and also used to be served alcohol and get into night clubs without question at the age of 15. Here in North America everyone is forced to show I.D. All the signs in bars and beer stores state that if you look under 30 - yes I said 30 you will be asked for identification. Usually a drivers license or student card that shows a picture. There are serious consequences to bar owners and beer stores if they mess up. Why not try making people prove proof of age?”
by Ella, Leicester
Thursday, February 26 2009, 1:04PM
“No disrespect to the police but they'll never stop young people drinking, it's a joke. I remember being 14 and with two of my friends of the same age and going into one of the shops named and shamed above and getting served alcohol and I can assure you we did not look anywhere near 18. If they stopped serving young people, they would lose most of their business.”
by lisa green, loughborough
Thursday, February 26 2009, 12:24PM
“im fuming my son is 17 and i know for a fact his 16 year old gf and himself buy alcohol from a shop its discusting more checks need to be done on these shops in local villages that kids hang out in , my opinion we dont need shops like this they should be kept in towns so its not so easy for kids to get too when they feel like it .”
by betty, leicester
Thursday, February 26 2009, 12:22PM
“I am glad that these people are being named and shamed, but it's about time they took their licence away on the first offence. Very often it is not the owner who serves them, but as they are responsible then it's they who should suffer. What are licencing laws for if they are not upheld. Those who are caught make the same old excuses every time, some people have no regard for the law and also don't care about under age drinking, they should be made to go to A & E at a weekend and see the effects of it. Most of the booze in these small off licences are sold cheap to youngsters because the cans are almost or are out of date, but young people would not think to look at that, this is stock that should be thrown away instead of making people ill. How would they like it if it was their kids.”