Police mount first-of-its-kind 'sting' to prevent bar staff serving drunks

In the first operation of its kind, plain-clothed officers toured pubs and clubs in Fareham town centre, near Portsmouth, to stop bar staff selling alcohol to drunk customers.

While no-one was given an £80 fine – the punishment for serving a drunk customer – police say the undercover operation will now be spread out across the whole of Fareham as well as Gosport and Havant.

Sgt Roy Jennings, Fareham's licensing officer, said the operation was begun because police have to deal with at least half-a-dozen drunken incidents in Fareham town centre on any weekend.  'There are continuous problems with people being drunk and disorderly when pubs and clubs kick out. This is another tool in the crackdown on rowdy and anti-social behaviour.'

When police carried out the operation, they were looking to identify drunk people and then monitor their next trip to the bar. Police say a person is drunk if their eyes are glazed, their speech is slurred and they are unsteady on their feet. Officers also look out for particularly rowdy behaviour.

Read the rest of this item from The News, Portsmouth, here