Thursday 20 December 2007

Off-licences ban sales of booze in Storrington

Off-licences have banned the sale of alcohol to under 21s in a bid to crack down on underage drinking.

Shops have agreed stop selling drink to young people without valid proof of age to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

The scheme has been launched in Storrington, near Horsham, which has high levels of underage drinking.

Police and ambulance crews have backed the scheme because they have been inundated with calls relating to teenage boozing.

If it is successful and helps alleviate the pressure on emergency services it could be introduced across West Sussex.

All five licenced shops in the village have banned selling booze to youngsters, including a Co-op, Tesco Express and Sainsbury's store.

Police have asked all the shops to take part because officers have found older people have been buying alcohol for their younger friends.

Licensees agreed to the scheme after they were approached by Horsham district crime and disorder reduction partnership.

The partnership is made up of various organisations including Horsham District Council and the emergency services.

Council community safety officer Greg Charman said: "When talking to the members of the partnership Storrington continued to crop up as being a problem area, especially on a Friday and Saturday night.

"The number of incidents was disproportionate to the number of people who lived there.

"It was showing a high level of complaints from members of the public who were complaining about antisocial behaviour.

"We spoke to police officers and licensees and we agreed the main driving force behind the problems was alcohol.

"It will protect people of other generations and also the young people themselves who are often picked up by police and ambulance crews."

The trial period will last for two months over the festive period and emergency service statistics will then be reviewed.

Posters will be displayed inside and outside participating stores warning shoppers of the new policy.

The poster will also inform customers of the fines for buying booze for minors and will remind them it is breaking the law.

Neighbourhood Specialist Team Sergeant Darren Lillywhite of Sussex Police said: "I hope we can look forward to a dramatic improvement in crime and antisocial behaviour.

"Underage alcohol purchasing is a serious problem and we hope that addressing it in this way will discourage any young people from using fake identities or proxy purchasing where an older person purchases alcohol for underage friends."

Peter England, the administration manager of the World of Wines in High Street, Storrington, backs the scheme.

He said branches in Henfield and Steyning have also banned selling booze to under 21s.

Mr England said: "We are fully supportive of anything which will help reduce underage drinking.

"We don't get many youngsters in here because we are a wine merchant but we can see the problems in the town.

"We are happy to do anything we can to help reduce those problems."

Will banning under 21s from buying booze solve antisocial problems? Tell us what you think below.

For more information about crime in your area visit the local information section of this website.

andy.whelan@theargus.co.uk

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