Fake ID warning for drinkers

UNDERAGE drinkers have been warned they could receive a criminal record for buying booze with fake or borrowed ID and could even be barred from travel to the US or Australia.

Halton Council said it was an offence to buy alcohol while under 18 years old and premises convicted of selling to minors face ‘serious consequences’.

A spokeswoman for the local authority said policies such as Challenge 25 and Think 21 have made it harder for youths to buy booze if they look older than they are.

But some young people have adapted by buying fakes IDs on the internet and by borrowing IDs from older siblings or friends.

The council spokeswoman said the phoney IDs sold online do not match real existing documents, so companies cannot be prosecuted under counterfeit laws such as for selling an ‘international driving permit’ or ‘provisional motorcycle licence’.

She said: “These counterfeit ID cards are sold as novelty items and the companies are often run from abroad, which means it is difficult for the UK to stop the source of the cards.

“Experience indicates that the use of genuine ID that does not belong to the person presenting it, ie borrowed from someone older, is more prolific than the use of fake ID to get into licensed premises, with over 90 IDs con- fiscated in Halton over the Christmas period.

“There are four different types of ‘false’ document: a genuine document being used by someone else, genuine document which has been altered, a genuine document which has been fraudulently obtained, or a false document.

“A person found guilty of the possession of counterfeit ID is liable for a fine of up to £5,000 and imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.

“This offence can be used in the case of a person using fake ID to obtain alcohol or entry to a licensed premises.

“A little known fact is that conviction could prevent travel to destinations where a visa is necessary, ie USA or Australia.”