10% of Retailers Sold Age Restricted Products to Children
An operation to tackle anti-social behaviour around Bonfire Night by preventing the sale of alcohol and fireworks to children has ended with four sales out of a possible forty.
Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service and Warwickshire Police mounted the exercise which involved child volunteers attempting to purchase alcohol or fireworks from retailers.
Child volunteers working undercover made forty attempts to purchase alcohol or fireworks. Only four retailers were prepared to sell to the children, and all four sales were of alcohol.
The operation targeted anti-social behaviour hotspots across all five districts and boroughs. Intelligence from local communities was used to identify retailers who were either believed to be selling alcohol or fireworks to children, or were located in areas where these sales were known to be being made.
Those retailers targeted ranged from small corner shops and convenience stores to petrol stations and large supermarkets.
Three of the four alcohol sales were made in North Warwickshire, the fourth in Nuneaton. The police issued £80 fixed penalty notices to three of the sellers (sales assistants, all in North Warwickshire); the fourth a Nuneaton Licensee is to be formally interviewed.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said:
“Although we are disappointed that four sales of alcohol were made to children, I am delighted that the vast majority of our retailers are taking their responsibilities seriously and refusing to sell age restricted products to children. I am also pleased that no sales of fireworks were made which is an improvement on last year’s operation when two sales took place.
We will continue to take appropriate enforcement action to help ensure that age restricted products are not sold to children.”