Two local stores have been given fines totalling £400 after they were found selling age-restricted goods to underage people last week.
An undercover crackdown was carried out at local premises on Thursday 12 October. The Villa Grocery & Off Licence and Costcutter in Avery Hill Road were both caught selling alcohol to 15-year-olds.
The crackdown resulted in five fixed penalty notices being issued. Police also gave licensees their final warning that they will face prosecution if they are caught breaking the law again.
Store owners were asked to remind adults who purchase alcohol from their stores that they can be given fines of up to £80 if they buy alcohol on behalf of children.
Ongoing initiatives
This recent swoop was part of Operation Grape and Operation Blunt; two continuing initiatives run in partnership by the Council and police that aim to ensure licensing laws are being properly upheld.
Law breaking will not be tolerated
Councillor Maureen O’ Mara, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety, said,
"It’s not only very irresponsible of stores to be selling alcohol to underage young people, but it can also be potentially very dangerous. The Council frequently remind licensees of the penalties that they will face if they fail to uphold the rules, and it’s always very disappointing when we find stores to be breaking the rules.
"We continue to do our bit in tackling the problem: we provide information packs that offer advice on the sale of age-restricted goods, we’ve recently made a CD-ROM available to store owners that gives further guidance on underage sales and we are always on-hand to help licensees who need guidance.
"It’s simply not good enough for the borough’s stores to be getting it wrong when it comes to selling age-restricted goods and the Council will continue to clampdown on those who break the rules until the message is clear that underage sales will not be tolerated."
Want to report a local store?
If you are concerned about local stores selling age-restricted goods to underage children, please contact using the details on the right.
Find out more about licensing laws in our Environment and planning section.
16 October 2006