Pavement warning to stop underage booze

ATRADING Standards team has painted warnings on pavements around Murdishaw shops to deter adults from buying booze for under-18s.

The Halton Council staff worked with Spar staff and other agencies to daub the white lettering forming the phrase ‘Buying for an U18? It’s an offence’ and picture of a booze bottle using a stencil.

A local authority spokeswoman said the initiative is part of the borough’s community alcohol partnership (CAP) between business and public agencies focussing on Murdishaw in a bid to prevent children from accessing alcohol.

She said the stencils can be used outside off-licences to deter would-be proxy purchasers from buying booze for under-18s.

It comes after discussions with young people who said they often buy alcohol by asking adults outside shops to pur- chase for them.

The spokeswoman said CAP agencies believe that proxy booze buyers do not realise they are breaking the law.

Cllr Dave Cargill (Trading Standards) said: “Our off-licences work hard to prevent sales of alcohol to under-18s but ● The stencilled warnings on the pavements we’ve seen a rise in the number of reports of young people waiting outside shops asking adults who are going in to buy alcohol for them.

“Many adults aren’t aware of the law around this and the pavement stencils are a great way of bringing it to the pub- lic’s attention.”

Anyone who sees an adult buying alcohol in a shop and passing it someone outside who looks under 18 can report it anonymously to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 0345 404 0506.