Entertainment & alcohol licensing

News: Responsible Alcohol Sales Campaign Arrives

  • Date: 20/11/2007
  • Author/Solicitor: Jonathan Smith

From yesterday the first phase of the Responsible Alcohol Sales Campaign began. Each police Basic Command Unit (BCU) has been asked to identify between 8 and 16 premises for targeted visits. Funds will then be allocated to BCUs who are successful in their bids. Between 19th and 29th November there is an "awareness raising" campaign run by the police. The idea is to raise the awareness of operators about selling alcohol to persons who are drunk and to persons who are under the age of 18. Visits will be made to premises which are in any particular hotspot areas, and to those which are going to be visited covertly during the campaign itself.

Information literature and brochures will be handed out by the police. Awareness will also be raised through Pubwatch and other licensing forums. Publicity material can be accessed through the Home Office's website via the link www.crimereduction.gov.uk/publicitycatalogue.

Following the initial awareness campaign then there will be a period of covert operations between 29th November and 24th December. Visits will be made to between 8 and 16 premises to identify not only any persons who are being served who are drunk but also any person who is being sold alcohol who is underage. It is expected there will be a total of at least 16 covert visits made. Any covert visit which does not result in any offence being identified should be notified to the Designated Premises Supervisor or Premises Licence Holder.

Whilst the aim of the campaign is to raise the awareness of the consequence of selling alcohol to persons who are drunk it is also one of the stated aims of the campaign to encourage and promote the use of the sections preventing any sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk, obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk, allowing disorderly conduct on licensed premises or failing to leave licensed premises. The police may therefore be keen to be seen to be justifying the funding by ensuring there are some prosecutions following their covert visits. What will prove to be very interesting is when any case comes to a Review hearing before a Council's Licensing Committee or before a Magistrates Court on a prosecution as to whether or not a person is "drunk". It would be very helpful if the police locally could provide guidance to operators as to when they judge a customer is "drunk", ie lack of judgement, clumsiness, loss of co-ordination, etc. What one police officer in one town may judge as drunk may not be the same in another town and it would greatly help if the police could provide some clarity at a local level.

For now, be aware that the awareness campaign has started and that if you receive a visit from the police during this campaign you can expect to receive covert visits during the month of December. Ensure your staff are fully trained - they may have been trained before but ensure that refresher training is provided, and provided NOW.