Fake ID users face 12-month pub ban

Underage pub goers in Portsmouth could be hit with a 12-month ban on their 18th birthday, if police proposals come to pass.

Portsmouth police have floated the idea to the Portsmouth Business Crime Reduction Partnership (PBCRP), which runs the town's pubwatch.

Under-18s caught trying to get into venues using fake or borrowed ID would be faced with a ban the day they turned 18, in a move designed to act as a deterrent.

The PBCRP will meet with pubwatch members in the next week to discuss the idea, which has been successful in Winchester.

The proposal comes on the back of Operation Babyface — a police initiative introduced in February that caused a 66% drop in the number of would-be underage drinkers in the area within the first six months.

It required all 15 venues in Guildhall Walk to report any customers attempting to use fake or borrowed ID, which would then be confiscated by police.

The people caught out are then sent on three two-hour sessions, which aims to teach them about the consequences of their behaviour and the problems it can cause.

So far, there have been no repeat offenders.

"The drop in the number of IDs confiscated is all down to Operation Babyface," said licensing officer Keith Hall. "On the back of it we are trying to come up with better practice.

"The scheme is holistic — we are not looking to take people to court for offences they don't necessarily know they are committing.

"I think the ban would be a good idea."

Hall will also visit schools and colleges in the area to talk about the consequences of using fake and borrowed ID.