infonews.co.nz
INDEX
ALCOHOL

Liquor Check notes Small Improvement Among Outlets

Tuesday 25 November 2008, 7:12AM

By New Plymouth District Council

329 views

NEW PLYMOUTH

A check on the liquor selling practices of 36 outlets throughout the district last weekend saw four premises selling alcohol to people aged under 18.

The controlled purchase operation (CPO) by the police and New Plymouth District Council involved two volunteers aged 16 and 17 visiting 36 on and off licenses in Waitara, Oakura, Bell Block and New Plymouth last Saturday (22 November) under police supervision.

Four of the 36 outlets sold alcohol to the volunteers, and police Licensing Officer Constable Kerry Yates says further action will be taken.

“The sellers will face charges in New Plymouth District Court, and the managers and licensees will be required to appear before the Liquor Licensing Authority where suspension of the managers’ certificates and the premises’ licences will be sought,” she says.

Eighty-nine per cent of the premises visited during this CPO complied with the law, marking a small improvement on the 85 per cent compliance during the last CPO in May this year (with 34 of the 40 outlets visited refusing to sell alcohol to the volunteers).

NPDC Team Leader Environmental Health Murray Clearwater says: “Overall this latest CPO had a good result with nearly 90 per cent of premises refusing the sales.

“Both the police and the council congratulate those licensees, managers and their staff.”

Mr Clearwater says most of the district’s bottle stores and supermarkets have clear sales processes in place, including till prompts that require sellers to seek identification and record the date of birth of people who appear to be under 25 years old before a sale can take place.

“Another pleasing sign was that our young volunteers were challenged either at the door by door staff or bar staff in the city’s taverns,” says Mr Clearwater.