Lowest Sales of Age Restricted Products to Children
An operation to help tackle anti-social behaviour by preventing the sale of alcohol and fireworks to children has ended with three sales out of a possible fifty-five.
Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service and Warwickshire Police carried out the exercise over the recent half term holiday. The exercise involved child volunteers attempting to purchase alcohol or fireworks from retailers.
Child volunteers working undercover made fifty-five attempts to purchase alcohol or fireworks. Only three retailers were prepared to sell to the children, and all three 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.
One sale was made in the Warwick area, one in Stratford and the third in Nuneaton. The police issued £80 fixed penalty notices to the three sellers (sales assistants) and all owners/designated premise supervisors are to be formally interviewed by Trading Standards Officers.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said: "Year on year we are seeing a reduction in sales of age restricted products to children.
"Although we are still disappointed that sales of alcohol were made to children, I am delighted that the vast majority of our retailers are taking their responsibilities seriously. I am particularly pleased that, for the second year in a row, no sales of fireworks were made.
"We will continue to take appropriate enforcement action to help ensure that age restricted products are not sold to children.”