ALL five Holme and Colne Valley pubs in under-age sting fail the test:
DavidH: “I would have thought that it should be second nature for bar staff to ask for I D for anyone who appears to be under 21 years. It may be easy at 14/15 years old to appear older, maybe 18, but no big deal for bar staff to ask. Either slack training or ‘do not care’ attitude by the pubs? Keep on checking the pubs and off licences, please!”
beth92: “It’s all right clamping down to stop underage drinkers but what happens when they end up drinking on the street causing problems for the public?
“I know a few landlords albeit wrongly have said they don’t have a problem with the mature ‘kids’ ie 17 years having one or two as long as they don’t cause trouble and they aren’t causing trouble on the street.”
idlejohn: “Pubs are getting increasingly desperate for customers and this probably explains the figures.
“It is especially difficult to assess the age of young girls who can look and act a lot older than they are and who are quite adept at lying – but staff should ask and if in doubt refuse service. I would have thought that Trading Standards had more important things to do than inspect rural pubs, but I suppose they have to justify their existence but this form of ‘entrapment’ is very unpleasant.”
WobblyRach: “Law – 1: Common sense – 0. They’re not hurting anyone. Leave them be. Nearly everyone has drunk under-age and if they don’t get served in the pubs, for whatever reason, then the kids will be in the parks and bus shelters again doing themselves a world of harm with bottles of cheap cider and just giving ammunition to the ‘hate kids’ lot who like to dominate local politics.
“Let sleeping dogs lie and let’s starting using common sense instead of these silly laws made by Eton schoolboys.”
SimonC: “Considering a lot of eighteen-year-olds aren’t capable of drinking responsibly, it seems a little unwise to suggest we should turn a blind eye to even younger people drinking.”
Birkbyproud: “WobblyRach: do you have children? I would not like to have known my children were in pubs on Friday and Saturday night at 14 or 15 years old! ... and at 14 or 15 they are still children!”
WobblyRach: “I always did! There is a world of difference between a 17-year-old having a crafty pint in the corner of the local and selling drink to 14-year-olds.”