Liquor sting catches two

The latest controlled purchase operations carried out by police in the Porirua area turned up two failures, with the offending premises referred to the Liquor Licensing Authority for the suspension of their licences.

The operations took place on February 24 and April 20, with police, District Licensing Authority and Regional Public Health staff testing compliance in regards to the sale of alcohol to minors.

The volunteers were 16 or 17 years old over two evenings visited 11 offlicences and nine bars. They were provided with alcohol on two occasions and both times the volunteer produced ID to show he was underage.

However, the staff either miscalculated the age or misread the date of birth, police liquor licensing officer Steve Sargent said.

‘‘The other 18 premises refused to serve or admit them after being told they either had no identification, or after being shown identification that proved they were underage, or after having asked how old they were.’’

Police have asked for the suspension of the licences of the managers who were on duty at the time. One of the premises has consented to a twoday suspension.

‘‘ While we’re pleased with the result, it is disappointing to see some places still do not have robust systems in place to prevent the sale of liquor to minors,’’ Mr Sargent said.