In November Brighton & Hove Police took underage volunteers to carry out test purchases at six licensed premises in the city. 3 passed and 3 failed!
The volunteers, all of whom were under the age of 18, were able to purchase 1 bottle of alcopop, 1 bottle of cider and 1 pre-mixed can from 3 separate retail outlets.
As a result, 3 community resolutions were issued and meetings were conducted between the police and the premises who failed, formal warning letters were issued and actions were discussed to prevent this from happening again.
A Spokesperson for Brighton and Hove police said “There are many facets to policing and our Brighton & Hove licensing team carries out vital work to prevent crime and protect our communities from harm.
“Purchasing alcohol when under the age of 18 is against the law. Its also an offence to drink alcohol in a public place when you are under the age of 18. We have a duty to ensure licensed premises in the city abide by the 4 licence objectives -For protection of crime and disorder, Public Safety, For the prevention of public nuisance and For the protection of children from harm.
Our Licensing Officers work all year to help keep our city safe – we can’t be everywhere, but we could be anywhere! Think 25!”
