The South Glos Post

Neighbourhood police and Trading Standards officers carrying out checks on underage alcohol sales in the Chipping Sodbury, Coalpit Heath, Frampton Cotterell and Yate areas were delighted that they all refused to sell alcohol to children.

On Friday 6th May 2011 police teamed up with South Gloucestershire Trading Standards officers for the operation, aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related offences.

With the help of two clearly underage teenage volunteers – a girl and a boy – they visited ten off-licences to check whether they were prepared to sell alcohol to under-18s.

None of them were prepared to make the sale.

New Neighbourhood PC Finbar Simmons said: “Alcohol and children does not mix. Drink can make young people vulnerable and it can lead to anti-social and criminal behaviour. Licensees have a responsibility to ensure that alcohol does not fall into the wrong hands, and we frequently test that in operations with our colleagues at the council.”

“I’m delighted that all the off-licences did make the proper checks and refused to sell drink to minors, and they will be sent a letter of appreciation.”

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Source: Avon and Somerset Police

Police and South Gloucestershire Council targeted pubs in an under-age alcohol test-purchase operation for the first time on Friday 10th December 10.

Two 16-year-old girls volunteered to try to buy alcohol at six pubs – two in Emersons Green and the rest in Kingswood, Longwell Green, Pucklechurch and Soundwell.

Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Thatcher said: “I’m delighted that these clearly under-age girls were unable to buy alcohol at any of the pubs we visited.”

“We regularly work with Trading Standards running this sort of operation to see if off-licences will sell drink to under-18s. This is the first time we’ve run the operation at pubs in South Gloucestershire.”

“I understand that people may have concerns about under-age girls going into a pub environment, but there were plain clothes police officers inside the premises as the girls went in and they were followed in by Trading Standards officers.”

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Source: Avon and Somerset Police

Three stores sold alcohol to under-18s in a test-purchase operation run by police and South Gloucestershire Trading Standards.

Two clearly under-age girls tried to buy alcohol in eight off licences and convenience stores in Downend, Kingswood, Mangotsfield and Warmley in the operation on Friday 5th November 2010.

The teenage volunteers were able to buy alcohol in two Kingswood stores and one in Downend. The workers who made the sale were given an £80 on-the-spot fine.

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Source: Avon and Somerset Police

Fire crews attending a blaze at a storage shed in a remote location in Iron Acton called police after discovering an illicit alcohol still.

Officers were called in at about 7pm on Sunday 22nd August and found around 30 barrels of alcohol, bottles and bottling and labelling equipment.

Neighbourhood PC Ian Matthews said HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are investigating the incident.

He said: “It seems that vodka was being illegally made and bottled at this site. Tests will be carried out by HMRC to check the alcohol content, but indications suggest it would be seriously harmful to health if drunk.

“I would urge anyone who has bought ‘Chekov Imperial Vodka’ or ‘Chundoff Russian Vodka’ unusually cheaply to contact either police on 0845 456 7000 or HMRC on 0800 595000.”

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Source: Avon and Somerset Police