ID clampdown on boozy youths (From Stroud News and Journal)

ID clampdown on boozy youths

DRINKERS in Stroud who look under the age of 21 are being asked to prove they are old enough to consume alcohol as part of an ongoing effort to clampdown on underage drinking.

Challenge 21, which is supported by all Stroud publicans with membership of the town's Behave or Be Banned scheme (BOBs), will require pub customers with a youthful appearance to produce an acceptable form of identification before they can be served alcohol.

All pubs participating in the project are displaying a Challenge 21 poster in a prominent position on the premises detailing the types of ID - passports, Validate cards, Connexions cards and photo driving licences - the landlord will accept.

Failure by the customer to produce one of these documents on request will result in them not being served.

Challenge 21 is part of the same drive against underage drinking that prompted police to carry out checks at four licensed premises in Stroud at the end of May.

As a result of that operation members of staff from all four premises received a £80 fixed penalty notices for various licensing offences, including serving alcohol to persons under the age of 18.

PC John Breakwell, liquor licensing officer for Stroud, said Challenge 21 was aimed at reducing the number of underage drinkers using local pubs.

"Challenge 21 is a response to public concern about underage drinking and the behaviour of youngsters when they have been consuming alcohol," he said.

"The scheme is aimed at those underage drinkers who try and consume alcohol on licensed premises, often by using fake identification. "If it proves a success we will be looking to introduce it to other areas of the Cotswolds and Stroud division."

Ian Morrison, the Stroud BOBs spokesman and landlord of The Retreat pub, said, "Challenge 21 is a further incentive to make Stroud a safer place for the majority of the drinking public."

Local publicans set up the Stroud BOBs scheme three years ago. Under BOBs rules any person who has caused problems on licensed premises within the scheme can be barred from all other participating premises for up to a year.

Over the years the project has proved successful in reducing incidents of disorderly, violent and abusive behaviour taking place in Stroud pubs.