Top cop urges tough action on underage sales

High-profile ex-policeman Brian Paddick has labelled enforcement of underage alcohol sales "laughable" and suggested licences should be revoked after one warning.

Paddick, former Liberal Democrat candidate for London major, called for "very strong action against the retailer" during a debate on minimum pricing.

He said: "We have seen from our own experience that enforcement of selling alcohol to people underage is laughable, really, both in terms of the considerable resources put into it and also the penalties for those who are caught doing it."

When pressed on what action he'd like to take, a former deputy assistant commission at the Met said: "Maybe a warning in the first instance but maybe depriving them of their licence if you make them aware of the problem and they don't do anything about it."

Supermarket pricing was condemned during the debate, hosted by the Local Government Group - but pubs were described in more favourable terms.

Socially responsible​

Paddick said pubs were "a much more controlled and socially responsible place to drink than to drink at home".

Problems are caused by "people getting drunk before they go to the public house on cheap alcohol that they buy below cost price in supermarkets", he added, although he said pub promotions such as happy hours can be a problem.

Cllr Nilgun Canver, who deals with licensing issues at the Local Government Group, linked pub closures to increased problems of irresponsible drinking.

Minimum price​

Paddick supported minimum pricing but stressed that it must be combined with good alcohol education. "In the meantime we need to do whatever we can and minimum pricing appears to me to have an effect on some of these target users of alcohol."

Canver said minimum pricing "must be accompanied by a long term education programme".

But in reference to the proposal to ban alcohol sales below VAT plus duty, she added: "At the moment it's not very clear how this minimum pricing will be enforced.

"If the Government's thinking is that it will be local government then they have to talk to us and they haven't done that. I'm very concerned about it."