THREE out of four Oswestry premises have been caught selling alcohol to juveniles in a 'sting' operation mounted by police and Trading Standards.
As part of Operation Knight, July and August saw numerous test purchase visits made by under 18s at pubs and licensed premises in Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth, testing to make sure appropriate age checks were being carried out, with a staggering 14 out of 19 premises failing the test, openly selling alcohol to the juvenile customer while police and Trading Standards officers looked on.
Disappointed.
Licensing Officer Tony Mantle said he was extremely disappointed with the 74 per cent failure rate. Three out of three premises in Bridgnorth, three out of four in Oswestry and eight out of 12 in Shrewsbury all failed the test Mr Mantle said two of these premises would now have their licence reviewed by Shropshire Council, considering suspension of licence for three months or total revocation.
Chief Inspector Martin Whitelegg said: "The results of the operation are very disappointing. It's clear from these sample test purchases that many licensees are not facing up to their responsibilities.
"I want to send out a strong message that the police will come down hard on pubs, clubs and restaurants who flagrantly disregard the law by selling alcoholic drinks to young people under 18.
"There is no excuse. It is the responsibility of licensees and their staff to ensure all customers are over the age of 18 before being served alcohol. If there is any doubt, they should ask for proof of age, and if they are still in doubt, then the customer should not be served."
Fixed penalties.
David Edwards, Head of Shropshire Council's Public Protection department, said: "These are very disappointing figures given the high profile alcohol work that has been conducted in the last few years, particularly at off-licences. We are determined to improve compliance in this sector, and to improve it quickly. I fully expect this to be the wake-up call the sector needed to clean-up its act."
Fixed penalty notices and £80 fines were issued to licensees who failed the test purchases during Operation Knight. Further tests are to be carried out in the coming weeks and months and police warn that if premises fail a second time, they will make an immediate application for a review of their licence.
l Licensees requiring help or advice can contact Licensing Officer Tony Mantle or Pubwatch co-ordinator Kelly Harris 01952 728711.