Shop staff caught selling strong cider to 16-year-olds
Four shopworkers have been fined for selling strong cider to 16-year-olds in Bath.
Nearly a third of the stores targeted in an undercover operation in the city were caught breaking the law on under-age sales.
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One of the workers has been sacked, while all four have been given £80 on-the-spot fines by Bath and North East Somerset Council and the police.
The joint operation sent two 16-year-olds into 13 Bath shops – and they were successful in buying the cider, which is at the centre of increasing health concerns, in four of them.
The council has refused to name the shops, saying further court action could still be taken, although legal responsibility for the sales lies with the individual members of staff.
It stressed the youngsters used looked their age, and council trading standards manager Roger Pope said: “This action sends out the clear message that the council will take strong, decisive action against licensees who ignore the law and endanger the health and wellbeing of young people by selling them alcohol. There is no excuse for a licensee to sell to people who are under-age, given the clear advice given about how to prevent selling to children.”
The council’s project officer for alcohol harm reduction, Jodie Smith, said the amount each teenager bought would have exceeded the recommended daily limit for adults.
“Alcohol consumed in harmful amounts can seriously damage both a young person’s health and emotional wellbeing in the short and long term, in addition to the anti-social behaviour consequences.”
Police city centre beat manager Sgt Richard Durnford said: “We continually remind licensees of their responsibilities to comply with the law, and we deal firmly with those who don’t. Under-age drinking can damage the health of our young people and lead to anti-social behaviour, which affects others in the community.”
In July, the council stripped Bright Stores in Upper Bristol Road of its licence to sell alcohol after staff sold to under-age youngsters.
Anyone concerned about a shop selling alcohol or cigarettes to children can call the council's trading standards team on 01225 396753.
19 Comments
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by Happy days, MSN
Thursday, September 02 2010, 10:44AM
“Anyway no more posts from me today as I am now off to gainfull employment
(unfortunately I am not able to claim £ks of expenses )”
by David, MSN outside the boundaries of Bath
Thursday, September 02 2010, 10:40AM
“DAVID,
Like who would you recommend to do the job?
JANNETTE
I wasn't the one that got caught, but if I had been I would have got myself a blooming good barrister..”
by David, Bath
Thursday, September 02 2010, 9:55AM
“Happy Days,
¿Mr.¿ Pickles? The man who recently submitted a requisition form for a £70,000 high performance car to haul his blubbery carcass about on ¿official duties¿?
If I wanted someone to help me eat all the pies, I know where to go. But if I¿m looking for someone to credibly champion the interests of taxpayers and cut the government waste that you so deplore, I¿ll look somewhere else¿.”
by Janette, Bath
Thursday, September 02 2010, 9:46AM
“Hmmmmmmm...why am i getting the impression that Mr Happy Days is one of the people that got caught?”
by Happy days, MSN
Thursday, September 02 2010, 9:28AM
“Lucy,
why don't you contact your local councillor and see if he can do anything about it . (Thats if he is not too busy organising a group of employees to troll around the shops.).”
by Lucy, MSN
Thursday, September 02 2010, 8:40AM
“"Lucy if you get a congregation of young people then drugs and alcohol go together no matter where it is."
That's not my point. My point is that the parents are supplying the alcohol (I hope not the drugs!) and moving the kids and the problems to someone elses 'backyard', in this case, Rackvernal Road...
That is anti-social on both the kids and the parents part....”
by Happy days, MSN
Thursday, September 02 2010, 7:17AM
“MARK NAME AND SHAME
Haven't you got anything better to do than want to know the name of the shopkeeper .. if you know it .. would you stop shopping there or go and get your booze.”
by Happy days, MSN
Thursday, September 02 2010, 7:10AM
“JOHN I BATH
You seem to forget that quite a few of the laws of the land are/were given to us by the european parliament and also by the useless labour government who were dreaming them up as they went along.So if I were to list them we would need a double page spread.)”
by happy days, MSN
Thursday, September 02 2010, 6:55AM
“Councillor Dixon, Please get in the real world there are more youngsters in Midsomer Norton walking around in a either drugged or drunken stupor on a Friday night or by the skate park than ever before Either Their parents are aware of whats happening or they disregard it
OK so why doesn't the council do something about things that really matter instead of employing people to go around creating scenarios that shopkeepers get drawn into. Its the police who should be applying the laws of the land after the event takes place not council officials.
MATT, you don't honestly think that I listen to a councillor do you.. the only good one in Bath is Mr Hanney all the rest have never been in the business world or the real world you only have to look at the Bus lane at Fullers earth , traffic spoiling in Wellow the half empty council staff car park outside Sainsburys MSN (whilst everybody else has to go looking for a space to park and shop). The Pulteney bridge fiasco
I am really waiting for Mr Pickles to sort this lot out. Redundancies await”
by Matt, Bath
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 11:12PM
“Been schooled there a bit Mr Days! First time for everything!”