Police have vowed to clampdown on underage drinking as well as pubs and clubs which flout the law in the run-up to Christmas.
Northamptonshire Police has launched an operation in the run-up to the festive period and will be working with partner agencies in licensing enforcement.
Officers will be checking off-licences, carrying out test purchasing operations to clamp down on underage drinking, ensuring pubs and clubs are not selling to those who are drunk or underage as well as using the knife arch and drugs dogs.
Sergeant Mark Worthington explained: “We’ve been carrying out the initiative across the county.
“In Northampton we have visited 33 premises and two pubs and one off-licence have sold to underage customers. We’ve also carried out 22 police only and 16 multi-agency visits with Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, local authority licensing officers and environmental health officers at pubs and clubs in Northampton, with only a handful of minor issues to be dealt with by our partner agencies.”
He added: “I’d like to send out a very clear message to licensees – we are running these types of operation across the county in the daytime, evenings and weekends.
“We look to work in partnership with the trade but if we have to use our powers of enforcement we will have no hesitation in doing so.
“It is really pleasing the majority of licensees are upholding the licensing objectives, they are running their premises well.
“However, we will continue to use all means available to us to identify those that are not and deal with them appropriately whether it be through prosecution or a review of their licence before the licensing committee.”
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