Police urged to act on fake ID

A pubco boss has urged police to take more action against youngsters using fake ID to try and get into pubs.

Staff at Kai's Bar in Louth, Lincolnshire, recently seized a fake driving licence and student card and handed it to the police.

The move came in the same week that the Home Office released a report about young people's views on proof of age cards.

Michael Kheng, director of Kurnia Intertrade Limited, which runs Kai's Bar and five others in the area, is keen to see youngsters prosecuted for such offences.

He said: "We could only spot these were fake by putting them under a UV light.

"I have sent them to the police but they do nothing to help us they are just happy to do test purchasing in pubs."

Kheng also warned other licensees about the detail of the fake driving licence - the only visible difference from the genuine document is that it says International Driving Permit rather than Driving Licence.

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers told The Publican​ there is no policy guidelines on how to deal with the issue and that it was down to individual police forces.

Inspector Paul Stubbs, head of licensing for Lincolnshire West Division, said: "The matter can be deal in a number of ways including arrest without warrant, the discretion of the officer at the scene or by fixed penalty notice."

However he added many licensees dealt with the matter without getting the police involved.

The Home Office research revealed that 52 per cent of under 18s think it is easy to buy 'age-restricted goods."

Of those quizzed only 32 per cent said they had PASS branded ID but the majority of young people and parents alike were keen to see a standard ID card introduced.

In the survey 28 per cent of young people said they were most frequently asked for ID in a pub, 32 per cent said the supermarket.