One-in-three people buy booze for under-aged girl in police sting

More than a third of people bought alcohol for a 16-year-old in a police 'sting' operation in Brighton, East Sussex. Police let the culprits off with a warning but say they will fine people caught in future operations.

Licensing officers ran the sting in two locations in Brighton last week. A 16-year-old girl, watched by plain-clothes police, asked passers-by to buy her alcohol. Of the 29 people she approached, 11 bought her the drink.

Chief Inspector Pete Mills, of Sussex Police, said: “Although it was good to see that the majority of people who refused to purchase the alcohol knew the law and actually stated they didn’t want to get fined, the fact that so many agreed to purchase the alcohol for the youth is disappointing. 

“We have worked hard to test and educate off-licences regarding the sale of alcohol to minors over the years and they often mention that they struggle to stop these adults obtaining alcohol for the youths as the exchange of money and alcohol often happens away from their store”

The public face an £80 on-the-spot fine or court action if they buy drink for under-age youths.

Read the rest of this item from the Brighton Argus here