Seminars to consider test purchase problems

A series of seminars will be held at the end of March to discuss a solution to test purchasing and the control of age-restricted products.

The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) and Trading Standards Institute are behind the four seminars, which have been organised following a LBRO report highlighting the difficulties experienced by pubs and other retailers.

"The report gave a clear message that current relationships and collaboration between business, regulators, employees and consumers is not sufficient to achieve the necessary improvements in the control of restricted products," said LBRO chairman Clive Grace.

"We want to encourage a broad audience of all those who are in the front line of this issue — local authorities, business, trade associations, police and trades unions representing the shop workers — to ensure that all perspectives are heard and to encourage participants to form local relationships with each other."

The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) agreed that the retail industry remains under pressure from the burden and risk of age-checking and the impact of fixed penalty notices.

"Our members are on the front line controlling the sale of age restricted products and over three-quarters of shop workers have experienced verbal abuse or worse asking customers for proof of age ID when they are simply doing their job," said USDAW general secretary John Hannett.

"Genuine mistakes can lead to the risk of a fixed penalty notice which can have a significant impact on our members' lives. We very much welcome these seminars and look forward to continuing joint work with LBRO and the TSI to resolve this difficult issue."

The seminars will take place in Manchester (22 March), Birmingham (23 March), Cardiff (29 March) and Exeter (30 March).