Bottlewatch rolled out in North Warwickshire
North Warwickshire Community Safety Partnership will be able to monitor under-age alcohol sales as a new scheme launches in the borough next month.
Following a successful three month trial in Kingsbury, Bottlewatch will be introduced in the towns of Polesworth and Dordon on X June. The project aims to tackle underage drinking and anti-social behaviour by tagging alcohol bottles with store specific markers to identify where they were sold.
The tamper-proof stickers are colour coded for individual retailers who ‘mark-up’ bottles in their stores. If young people are found with alcohol the marking will inform the police where the drink has been obtained.
As the scheme targets suppliers instead of consumers, responsibility is placed on the retailer to take extra precautions to ensure they do not sell to underage customers. Support from Warwickshire Police and community safety officers will be available to shops in the area to help prevent problems arising and track success of the scheme.
The initiative was piloted from October 2008 to January 2009 at three stores in nearby Kingsbury with some positive results. Evaluation of the trial has shown a reduction in incidences of alcohol related anti-social behaviour in the area. Shopkeepers have also found the scheme easy to implement and have developed relationships with their local Police Community Support Officers who provide support and advice.
Warwickshire County Council Community Safety Project Officer Helen Earp said: “The scheme aims is to educate both young people and licensees about the risks of either buying or selling alcohol to the under-aged.
Due to the success of Bottlewatch in Kingsbury we are now able to extend the project to neighbouring towns. Warwickshire is one of the safest places to live but with projects like this one, we can further protect the community from harm.”
Chief Inspector Mike Wylde, District Commander for the borough from Warwickshire Police, added: “We are pleased so support the Bottlewatch scheme. It enables us to work more closely with licensees and tackle the problem of underage drinking together. We hope to have even more success with the extension of the scheme.”