Referrals for Liquor Licensing Authority following controlled purchase operations in Hutt Valley and Wellington

A number of on and off-licence premises are being referred to the Liquor Licensing Authority, following two controlled purchase operations (CPOs) around the district on Friday night.

The CPOs coincided with Operation Unite, a 12 hour trans-Tasman operation to reduce alcohol harm, which ran from 6pm Friday night until 6am Saturday morning.

In Lower Hutt, a total of 29 premises were visited on Friday night, with five premises selling to underage volunteers.

Lower Hutt Police Youth and Community Manager Senior Sergeant Darren Russell says of the five premises who sold to their 16 year old female volunteers, two were superettes, one was a bottle store and two were bars.

Senior Sergeant Darren Russell says the result for Lower Hutt was disappointing, especially as over the course of Operation Unite, a total of 19 breaches of the Sale of Liquor Act were detected.

"As well as the sale of liquor to minors, there were intoxicated patrons on licensed premises and the promotion of excessive drinking, which simply isn't acceptable."

In Wellington, a controlled purchase operation was conducted in the northern suburbs on a total of 10 premises. Four of these sold to a 17 year-old female volunteer. These included two superettes and two bottle stores.

Wellington Police Alcohol Harm Reduction Officer Sergeant John Lewis says the law is very straight forward when it comes to selling alcohol to minors.

"Anyone under the age of 25 should be asked for photo identification. If there's no ID, there's no service, it's as simple as that."

Sergeant Lewis says those working in superettes and bottle stores within our communities have a responsibility to reduce alcohol-related harm throughout the district, by screening young people wanting to purchase alcohol and not selling to them.

"We rely on these people to uphold the law and simply do what the community wants, which is to not sell alcohol to minors."

ENDS

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