Pubcos face severe underage penalties

Pubcos could face fines of £10,000 if one of their pubs persistently serve underage drinkers under new laws.

With much of the focus from the Violent Crime Reduction Act being devoted to alcohol disorder zones, the new draconian measure that holds the Premises Licence Holder responsible rather than just the Designated Premises Supervisor, has gone largely unnoticed.

If pubs are found serving underage drinkers three times in three months the premises licence holder, including many pubcos, could be hit with a £10,000 fine and the pub faced with a three-month closure order. Police and trading standards can also close pubs - that persistently sell to minors - up to 48 hours. Under the Licensing Act, closure orders were for 24 hours only.

"At a stroke the fine is doubled from the Licensing Act and if you're a premises licence holder - free trade, managed or tenanted - you're in the frame," said Union Pubco boss Stephen Oliver. "This is a classic case of the Government introducing a Trojan Horse amendment - they've hidden a key change to the law in a different bill so no-one will notice.

"Expect a host of unnannounced test purchasing, not just on drink but on cigarettes, too. We had one the other day - the kid sent in to buy fags had a scarf wrapped round his face. Our licensee was quick-witted enough to stop him, but the enforcement authorities are getting devious."

Punch customer services director Frances Patton said business relationship managers had been asked to remind licensees of obligations not to serve underage drinkers.

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