Licensed premises across Bournemouth
have been subject to scrutiny by various enforcement agencies in a
three-day operation to ensure they are adhering to their licensing
conditions.
Last week, the agencies visited premises
including off-licences, restaurants, pubs and bars taking action
against the minority found flouting licensing laws.
On the afternoon of Monday 12 July 2010,
Dorset Police, Bournemouth Borough Council’s Licensing and
Environmental Health Teams, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS)
and the UK Border Agency
reviewed premises in the Boscombe area.
As a result, DFRS issued one
establishment with a licence prohibition notice concerning the
sleeping quarters of the building. The UK Border Agency dealt with a person
believed to be an illegal immigrant.
On the evening of Wednesday 14 July 2010,
Dorset Police undertook an off-licence test purchasing exercise
across Bournemouth to target the selling of alcohol to underage
drinkers.
Police officers in plain-clothes accompanied
two 16 year-old male volunteers into more than 20 premises. The
volunteers sought to buy alcohol at each establishment which
resulted in five positive sales at four different
establishments.
Police Sergeant Steve Lyne, who organised the
exercise, said: “While in the majority of cases premises refused to
sell alcohol to the underage volunteers this exercise demonstrated
that some licensees are still not being responsible enough.
“The sale of alcohol to under age persons will
not be tolerated by Dorset Police and appropriate action will be
taken against the four premises which sold on this occasion.”
Licensing checks took place in the Poole Hill
area, also known as the Triangle, of Bournemouth town centre on the
evening of Thursday 15 July 2010.
Dorset Police officers, including members of
the area’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, worked alongside the local
authority’s Licensing and Environmental Health Teams, Security
Industry Authority (SIA) investigators and DFRS staff to carry out
the checks which resulted in one establishment being issued with a
closure notice.
Door supervisors and security guards on duty
in the premises were all found to be working legally, holding and
displaying valid SIA licences.
The SIA’s Head of investigation
Paul Cartlidge said: “These results were encouraging. All of the
security staff on duty held valid SIA licences, meaning the
public were being protected by properly trained and licensed
individuals.”
This operation was conducted under the banner
of Operation Protect, which sees Dorset Police and partners working
to tackle violent crime in all forms through increased enforcement
and prevention activity in towns across Dorset.