Retailers are getting the message and asking for ID
More retailers are asking for proof of age ID before selling alcohol.
This is the experience of Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Officers, and is good news in their bid to help reduce alcohol fueled nuisance youth crime.
Undercover enforcement exercises in Warwick and Leamington Spa conducted on 7th June revealed that of the 14 supermarkets, convenience stores and corner shops visited, none were prepared to sell an alcoholic drink to a 15 year old male volunteer.
Mark Ryder, Head of Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service said:
"I am delighted that the message is getting through to retailers of the importance of asking for proof of age before deciding whether to sell alcohol.
"I applaud those retailers who are being responsible, by asking for ID, keeping a refusals register, displaying warning notices and providing good training for their staff.
"Fostering a retail culture whereby ID is appropriately requested as a matter of course is something we have been trying to achieve, and I am very pleased that we are now seeing some positive results."
Earlier this year almost one hundred people attended Licensee seminars held in Leamington Spa and Bedworth. The main aim of the seminars, which were free to licensees and their staff, was to help them comply with the law. More are now planned together with further enforcement exercises.