[A] dozen premises across South Lakeland have passed a joint test purchase operation conducted by police and South Lakeland District Council.
Premises in Grasmere, Kendal, Ulverston and Windermere were visited on 25th and 26th July and were tested on whether they challenged alcohol purchasers for proof of age.
Only one of the premises visited failed to challenge for ID. They will be subject of a revisit in the future and the member of staff who served the test purchaser was fined £90.
Inspector Paul Latham said: “I congratulate the twelve premises that challenged our test purchaser for ID and refused to sell them alcohol when they failed to produce proof of age. It shows how seriously premises in the South Lakeland area take their responsibilities to protect their customers and surrounding communities.
“It is disappointing that one of the premises visited served our test purchaser. Police and South Lakeland District Council Licensing Authority will now work closely with them to ensure that they have a robust age verification policy in place to prevent any further incidents of underage sales.
“We will continue to conduct operations like this across the county and work closely with traders to ensure compliance with the law. These undercover checks form a vital part of ensuring compliance to ensure the safety of our communities.
“All licence holders and premises supervisors should take note. There are always those who look older than their age but it is important for staff to do the right thing and make sure they are. Please do not attempt to guess if someone is old enough, simply request they show ID.”
