Licence reviews for underage-sale venues
Two Laurel Pub company venues are among a group of five pubs in the Grimsby area having their licences reviewed after repeatedly being caught serving minors.
A Yates's wine lodge in Grimsby and a Cleethorpes venue called Fiddler face hearings next month along with three independently-owned venues - Mitchells, Art Bar and Bar Racuda in Cleethorpes.
North East Lincolnshire Council claims it is the first to take such action under new laws following the recent round of test-purchase operations.
Licence reviewsTrading standards officers requested the licence reviews, that are to take place across three days next month.
The council's licensing sub committee could suspend or revoke licences.
The council's public protection manager John Seale said all of the venues were caught serving minors at least three times in operations leading up to Christmas.
"The message is - if you are caught serving underage, we will come back," said Seale.
Joe Ramsden, the owner of Bar Racuda in Cleethorpes, which faces a council review hearing on 3 March, said his venue was caught out despite having a strict ID policy.
"We keep a record of all checks we do. We've done up to 700 checks a night and up to 100 didn't have ID, whether they were 18 or not."
Laurel has blamed an "administrative error" after it employed a 17-year-old to work behind the bar at a Cleethorpes pub.
The 17 year-old, who claimed he was 18, was dismissed from his bar job at Laurel's Fiddler pub after his true age came to light.
To comment on this or any other story email us by clicking this link
