Three liquor outlets caught in controlled purchase operation

Two bottle stores and a hotel bar will each lose their licence for 24 hours after being caught selling liquor to minors.

The outlets will lose their licences after being caught during a combined operation involving Police, Hastings District Council and the Public Health Unit of the District Health Board.

The premises forced to close are:

• Flaxmere Liquor in the Flaxmere shopping centre from 8am on Wednesday July 27th, 2011
• Te Aute Hotel on State Highway two Te Aute from 7am on Saturday July 30th, 2011
• Wholesale Liquor Havelock in Te Aute Road Havelock North from 9am on Friday August 5th, 2011

Duty managers at each of the premises have had their managers licence suspended for two weeks.

The operations were carried out at the Te Aute Hotel and Flaxmere Liquor on 14 May 2011 and Wholesale Liquor Havelock on 19 November 2010.

Hastings District Council Community Safety Manager Philip Evans says the enforcement agencies will continue with their role of making sure that licensees are vigilant in complying with the law.