'Stings' will go on in Liverpool
Liverpool City Council is standing by its policy of allowing underage children to lie during test purchasing "sting" operations.
This is despite indications that local authorities co-ordinating body LACORS is set to advise councils that children should tell the truth during test purchasing, following a review.
LACORS is to publish the results of its review into the issue at the end of the month.
But last week LACORS indicated that its position had not changed since executive director Derek Allen told The Publican in January that he did not imagine that current guidelines would be changed.
"The consensus that LACORS will not consent to local authorities asking children to lie about their age is expected to continue," said the organisation.
Liverpool City Council said children had been asked to lie during six of the 19 test purchasing operations it has carried out in the city since July 2005.
All operations in which children are asked to lie are targeted on premises which are believed to have a problem with underage sales, and are authorised in writing by Liverpool's head of trading standards.
John McHale, senior trading standards enforcement officer at Liverpool, said the council was still waiting for LACORS' new procedures to be issued.
"We are not aware of any guidance issued by LACORS specifically advising councils not to include the practice of asking volunteers to lie about their age," he said.
"We do not expect this procedure to be included in the latest code of practice to be issued by LACORS.
"It should be noted that the new code of practice is intended to be advisory rather than mandatory and will be considered as guidance rather than best practice."
Julie Swift, licensee of the Queen's Arms in Liverpool, said it wasn't fair that children were being asked to lie during the "sting" operations.
"I don't think they should be using children as pawns in this sort of exercise," she said.
"But if you are running your pub in the right way then you shouldn't have to worry about it anyway."
