7th June, 07/184
Partnerships Together: Age Check - get it
right!
Off-licences
across West Lancashire are being encouraged to 'Age Check' in a
crackdown on underage drinking as part of the innovative
'Partnerships Together' campaign.
More than 45 outlets in the district that sell alcohol are to be
visited by Community Beat Managers and Police Community Support
Officers over the next few weeks and will be given special
educational packs.
Called 'A retailers' guide to handling age-restricted sales', the
information has been designed to help shopkeepers get it right when
dealing with underage youngsters who are illegally trying to buy
beverages.
The pack has been put together in consultation with West Lancashire
District Council and includes a DVD, posters, refusals log book and
general information to deal with real life scenarios in order to
help retailers make the right decisions.
Bill Taylor, Chairman of the West Lancashire Community Safety
Partnership, said: "It is a disturbing fact of life that some
children are drinking alcohol at a young age and will try to buy
from off-licences knowing that they are breaking the law! They will
even try to get adults to buy it for them and this is a criminal
offence too. When faced with these scenarios, it can be difficult
and sometimes intimidating for the retailer to say no. With this in
mind the pack has been carefully designed to help people make the
right decisions and offers advice on how to avoid confrontation and
defuse a potentially awkward situation."
West Lancashire District Council already has excellent relations
with the off-licences across the district and is confident that the
retailers will welcome the new packs.
Councillor David Westley, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety,
said: "We are committed to tackling crime and the fear of crime and
we know that alcohol plays a part in so much criminal behaviour,
which is why we applaud anything that targets underage drinking.
Retailers have a legal obligation to know and practise the laws
relating to the sale of age-restricted goods else face committing a
criminal offence. Therefore, the packs give all the relevant
information needed to minimise incidents and can even be used as a
training tool. This will in turn protect staff and will compliment
our already good track record in refusing young people
alcohol."
Andy Murphy, Southern Division Partnerships Chief Inspector, said:
"One of the 'Partnerships Together' themes aims to reduce alcohol
related crime. Therefore, the Age Check scheme will offer guidance
to assist retailers when faced by young people wanting to illegally
purchase alcohol. The pack will also provide posters, which, when
displayed in shops will send out a clear message to those
attempting to purchase alcoholic drinks that they will be asked for
identification before being served. This partnership activity aims
to reduce the availability of alcohol and therefore reduce the
number of incidents linked to underage drinking."
This latest initiative is just one part of 'Partnerships Together'
- an innovative safety campaign that aims to cut alcohol crime and
domestic abuse, keep young people safe and out of trouble and
encourage neighbourhoods across the three boroughs to take
community safety seriously.
Related information
> Council
news
> Community
safety