Police chief calls for more training to curb under-age drinking

Training licensees to say 'no' is the key to tackling under-age drinking, according to a senior police officer in the West Midlands.

Speaking at the British Beer & Pub Association conference on sensible drinking in Walsall yesterday, chief superintendent Bruce Gilbert, who has overseen an initiative aimed at controlling alcohol disorder in the town, said that training and new ID technology would make it easier for staff to refuse customers they suspected of being under-age.

"It's about training them to have the confidence to say no," he said.

"The ID scanning computers mean people have to demonstrate their age, and they allow information to be shown to everyone in town.

"They cost £35 a week to run, which is a small price to pay for not being shut down. We've had a good response so far, none of this will work unless licensees work with us."

Walsall's initiative focuses on early interventions to prevent alcohol-related crime, and is being imposed by neighbourhood policing teams, who have concentrated on forging relationships with local pubs, and 10 specially employed officers in the town centre.

Nearly 750 premises in the borough have signed up, including 34 pubs and bars in the town centre, and while Gilbert admitted that resources were stretched at times, he said other places could use it as a blueprint in how to manage alcohol related disorder.

"We want to develop a safe sustainable industry. Walsall was trialled for this, and it could be workable elsewhere.

"Five years ago, we had around 2,000 people coming to Walsall at night, and this is now closer to 7 or 8,000. It's put a strain on police officers, but in general, Walsall is a safe place to live," he said.