One in three pubs fail underage sting
Nearly one third of pubs and clubs - 31% - served minors in the latest Home Office-backed national test purchase operation, the MA has learnt.
The failure rate in the current Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC), which ended last week, compares to a 53% failure rate for the on-trade in the previous AMEC over Christmas.
Of the 782 on-trade test purchase operations 284 resulted in the sale of alcohol to a minor.
The off-trade failure rate was 22%, roughly unchanged from the previous AMEC.
Data is from the AMEC's first three weeks.
FLVA chief executive Tony Payne said the trade must still improve its act on underage sales despite the improved performance in the recent AMEC.
He said: "31% is still bad. Licensees have got to make sure there is more training for staff."
Campaign results are due after the World Cup.
Your CommentsRobert Feal-Martinez via email 15/06/2006"Am I missing something here. The rise in crime is growing at an alarming rate, we see less Police on the streets, ordinary members of the public won't go out at night for fear of being mugged and the police want to do more stings for underage drinkers. I am glad they seem to have their priorities right. Underage drinking has been around since pubs were licensed, it is of course wrong, but there is an argument that says, at least in a pub it is controlled, in a park in the dark, the youngsters are seriously at risk of harm. Underage drinking in Pubs is still very small to those drinking on the streets buying from supermarkets or being given it by parents. Why always the easy target the pub. I think we can do no more than have the signs, ask for id. Now the police want to use forged ones. Why is the establishment so against pubs and clubs."
