Police planning Xmas pub sting

The Home Office is expected to announce a Christmas campaign today that will target sales of alcohol to drunk customers in the UK. The operation, which is expected to involve undercover officers from 60 police forces, will run throughout December.

The campaign will be preceded by an awareness-raising campaign, in which officers will talk to licensees. The undercover operation will then target problem premises at which point, if a customer is found to be “unequivocally drunk”, the punishment is expected to be an £80 fixed penalty notice, and a potential review of the venue’s license.
Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, commented on this campaign during an industry debate at the drinks business Vodka Masters event yesterday. He discussed the difficulty in evaluating a customer’s level of inebriation. “What is drunk? It is very difficult for bar staff to make a decision between merry, tipsy, or had-too-much.” His advice was that “staff should always make sure that the person being served is over the legal age, and refuse to serve those who are clearly drunk.”
Beadles went on to comment: “Running this campaign during the busiest trading period of the year is going to be difficult for police and licensees alike."

Clinton Cawood, 14/11/07