Under-age drinks purge proves successful (From Thurrock Gazette)

Under-age drinks purge proves successful

7:00am Thursday 21st February 2013 in News

THURROCK Council has launched an operation targetting anti-social behaviour and underage alcohol sales.

Officers from the council’s licensing and public protection departments joined police officers from East Thurrock, focussing predominantly on Corringham and Tilbury, last Friday.

During a number of test purchases, one retailer was issued with an £80 fixed penalty for selling alcohol to two volunteers aged 16 and 15.

Other retailers who were sampled during Operation Pitstop passed tests, which were aimed at seeing which retailers are flouting strict rules on the sale of alcohol.

Several units of alcohol were also taken from a group of youngsters who could not prove they were old enough to be drinking.

Gavin Dennett, the council’s acting head of public protection, said: “Trading standards officers, licensing officers and community protection officers were targeting the purchasing, possession and consumption of alcohol by underage people and checking licensed premises were operating responsibly, playing their part in protecting local people.”