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| | | Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers from the Duston Safer Community Team have been working in the local area to crack down on underage drinking.
The Duston SCT carried out a test purchase operation on eight off-licences in the Duston area on Friday 5 September.
The team found that three out of the eight shops visited sold alcohol to children under the age of 18.
The seller was issued with an £80 penalty notice on each of the three occasions and details were referred to Trading Standards.
PC Victoria Howe from the Duston SCT said: "We decided to visit shops that have a licence to sell alcohol to ensure that the necessary measures are being taken so that alcohol is not being sold to underage children, so our findings are very disappointing."
Community Safety Sergeant Mark Worthington said: "We would remind premises to look at their screening and identification processes that they use before selling alcohol, and adopt the ‘Challenge 21' philosophy, which means if anyone looks under the age of 21 they should be asked to prove that they are over the age of 18.
"Not only does underage drinking have a serious impact on children themselves; anti-social behaviour and juvenile nuisance is often linked to underage drinking as it can lead to children becoming involved in crime, either as an offender or a victim.
"Ensuring that alcohol is sold and consumed responsibly is a key priority for Northamptonshire Police, and the Force is committed to tackling the increasing issue of alcohol-related public disorder and anti-social behaviour."
