Police warning to Suffolk licensees.
Police in Suffolk say licensees could be held responsible for the drunken behaviour of their customers.
Sgt Mick Richardson said licensees could faces fines and criminal convictions if drunks who break the law can remember which pub sold them too much drink.
The warning came when Sgt Richardson addressed a meeting of the Felixstowe Nightsafe Partnership about the implications of the new Licensing Act.
He said: "We are not operating any kind of witchunt but there may come a time when an officer decides to follow up on a case where someone is arrested for being drunk and disorderly or an incident.
"They will go back and look at how that person got into that state for the offences to occur.
"The person will tell us in interview where they have been drinking and officers could go to the pub or club and find out who served the alcohol and why when clearly the person was drunk or becoming drunk.
"That could lead to a landlord or his staff being given a ticket and having to pay the penalty.
"I am not making threats, but I am saying what could happen at some stage if an officer decided to investigate."
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Your Comments
Kevin Byford via email 31/03/2006"Since when has it been an offence to serve someone who is "becoming drunk"? Surely any customer who wanders in and orders an alcoholic drink will fall into that category!"
Sharon Donald via email 03/04/2006"Have I missed something here, I thought as a taxpayer I was already contributing to the police force to maintain law and order on the streets. Perhaps someone could tell Labour that you can buy drink from the local off license and get drunk if you want to not just the pub will they be included in this stupid idea. They should visit the park round the corner from me after 7pm these kids have definitely not been in the pub."
E B Cant via email 03/04/2006"Reading about the suffolk police threatening to seek out landlords who serve people who get drunk, these people can look reasonable fine when we serve them, as soon as the fresh air hits them i a completely reaction occurs, where i sympathise with all who deal in this trade, also the police who do a fantastic job, its sometimes a very tough call when people have been drinking in your pub all night, i wonder what would happen to our magistrates if the police find them foe letting off say a joy ride, who then goes out & commits another offence, seriously injures someone, please tell me whats the difference,after all we are all doing a job, but as landlords we get victimised."
