Sting 20 pubs each, police forces told

John Harrington

john.harrington@william-reed.co.uk

Government has told every police force in the country to target 20 licensed premises in their area during the latest round of sting operations.

Police are set to road-test the new tougher powers on underage sales during the 10-week Home Office (HO)-funded sting, due to begin in May.

Under new laws that came into force on 6 April, pubs can be closed for three months - and premises licence holders fined £10,000 - if three underage sales occur within a three-month period.

Poppleston Allen lawyer Graeme Cushion said: "I understand that each [police] Crime Reduction Unit will be asked to target 20 premises within their area and seek to visit them a minimum of three times in 10 weeks, from the beginning of May.

"If the first two visits prove unsuccessful from the police's point of view because the test purchase fails, they will still carry out a third visit.

"If that visit results in a sale, they will visit twice more before the end of the 10-week period in an attempt to secure three underage sales in three months."

Cushion said he expected the 20 venues would be among those that had failed test-purchase operations.

He said: "While there appears to be no defence to this new offence, the importance of 'due diligence' cannot be underestimated.

"Magistrates will view premises differently if the premises licence holder can show they have rigorous systems in place to make sure training is carried out and refusals of service recorded."