Underage booze sales shock
SIX out of seven licensed premises sold booze to underage youngsters in an undercover police sting carried out as part of a clampdown on crime in a quiet village.
A test purchase operation was carried out at seven premises in Trimdon Village, with six failing the test by selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18.
Fixed penalty fines of 80 were handed out to three workers and three managers were reported for summons to court.
The clampdown was held as part of a week of action in the village.
Despite the negative result regarding booze sales, Sedgefield neighbourhood policing Team have hailed the success of the Not In My Neighbourhood initiative.
Sergeant Brian O'Connor said: "We will be speaking to licensees at the regular Pubwatch meetings and will re-emphasis the vigilance staff have to take in relation to alcohol sales to underage people.
"It is a positive message that we are keeping an eye on things."
Also during the clampdown, three people were arrested for drugs offences after officers carried out four raids in the village and found four cannabis plants, small quantities of cannabis bush and amphetamine.
One local youth was arrested and received a final warning for a previously reported incident of criminal damage to the library in Church Road.
Police joined HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in joint operations focusing on cigarettes and tobacco. And in a clampdown on the use of illegal fuel, 127 vehicles were stop-checked and one driver was fined.
Over a four-day period, officers from the road policing unit carried out targeted patrols.
One woman was arrested for driving while disqualified and a man was arrested for drink-driving.
Five fixed penalty tickets were issued for speeding, use of a mobile phone while driving and parking offences.
Twenty negative breath tests were carried out.
Following concerns about speeding Sedgefield neighbourhood policing team carried out a community speedwatch scheme and 34 warning letters were sent to registered keepers of offending vehicles.
During the initiative, officers were based in the housing office in Church Road and a police vehicle was situated for two days in the nearby Co-operative car park.
This was staffed by officers from the neighbourhood policing team and was "very well attended" by the public.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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