Stone pubs caught selling alcohol to under-18s

Five pubs in Stone were caught selling alcohol to under-18s on Monday night.

A joint operation by Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards team saw under-age volunteers sold 10 bottles of alcohol in the five pubs, which haven’t been named. Six pubs in all were tested.

Staffordshire Police’s Operation Safer Nights team posted on Twitter: “Disappointing results in Stone on Monday night. Pubs must ensure bar staff receive training to prevent under-age sales. If Challenge 21 had been applied there would have been no sales to under-age persons.”

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They also posted the photo above, showing the alcohol that had been served to under-18s.

All five pubs will now have their licenses formally reviewed by Stafford Borough Council.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for communities Mike Lawrence said: “It is disappointing to see such a high failure rate and demonstrates why test purchase operations are necessary. Licensed premises have a responsibility to their communities and I hope those that failed understand that selling alcohol to people who are under-age is unacceptable. It’s in everyone’s interest that Staffordshire is a place where people feel safe and we will work closely with the police and other organisations to ensure this is the case.”

Test purchase operations like the one in Stone on Monday night are carried out regularly across the county as part of Operation Safer Nights.