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There are a number of underage drinking offences under the Licensing Act 2003.
9 June 2015
Insight
Council or Police officers can prosecute persons for any of these offences. Cases can be dealt with by way of a formal caution or in the Magistrates Court. The Court may also order the forfeiture of a Personal Licence, or suspend it for up to six months. If you are convicted of an offence, the Police may also raise objections to you holding a Personal Licence, and the Council can hold a hearing to consider whether your Personal Licence should be revoked.
| Knowingly allowing an unaccompanied child on premises exclusively or primarily being used for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises | Any person working paid or unpaid who is authorised to prevent it; Premises Licence Holder; DPS; any member or officer of a club who is on the premises at the time in a capacity that enables him to prevent it; the Premises User for a Temporary Event Notice | Child was passing to/from another place where there is no other means of access or egress; due diligence if due to the act or default of another | £1,000.00 |
| Allowing an unaccompanied child to be on relevant premises between midnight and 05.00 when the premises are being used for the purpose of supplying alcohol for consumption there | Any person working paid or unpaid who is authorised to prevent it; Premises Licence Holder; DPS; any member or officer of a club who is on the premises at the time in a capacity that enables him to prevent it; the Premises User for a Temporary Event Notice | Child was passing to/from another place where there is no other means of access or egress; due diligence if due to the act or default of another |
£1,000.00 |
| Selling alcohol to a person aged under 18 | Any person, a Club, or a person on behalf of a club | (i) belief that person was over 18 AND either (a) had taken all steps to establish the age, i.e. was provided with evidence that would convince any reasonable person or (b) no reasonable person would have suspected person was under 18; (ii) due diligence where act or default or another | £5,000.00 |
| Knowingly allowing the sale or supply of alcohol on relevant premises to a person aged under 18 | Any person who works at the Premises in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid, which authorises him to prevent the supply; any member or officer of a Club who at the time was present in a capacity which enabled him to prevent it |
No defence available | Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly allowing alcohol to be supplied to, or to the order of, a club member who is under 18, or to the order of a member, to someone under 18 | Any person who works at the premises in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid, which authorises him to prevent the supply; any member or officer of a Club who at the time was present in a capacity which enabled him to prevent it |
No defence available | Unlimited fine |
| Attempting to buy alcohol when aged under 18 (unless sent by a constable or Trading Standards Officer) | Any person aged under 18 | No defence available | £1,000.00 |
| Being supplied with alcohol by a club you are a member of, by or on behalf of the club, because of some act or default of yours, or attempting to have alcohol supplied to you or to your order by or on behalf of, the club | Any person aged under 18 | No defence available | £1,000.00 |
| Buying or attempting to buy alcohol on behalf of a person aged under 18 | Any person | No reason to suspect the person was under 18 | Unlimited fine |
| Being a club member and making an arrangement for alcohol to be supplied to a person under 18, or attempting to make such arrangements | Any club member | No reason to suspect the person was under 18 | Unlimited fine |
| Buying, or attempting to buy, alcohol for consumption on relevant premises by a person aged under 18; or having (by act or default) alcohol supplied to him or to his order, for consumption on the premises by a person aged under 18 | Any person or club member (but does not apply to a 16/17 year old drinking beer, wine or cider for consumption with a table meal on relevant premises when accompanied by a person aged over 18) | No reason to suspect person was under 18 | Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly consuming alcohol on relevant premises | Any person aged under 18 except a 16/17-year-old drinking beer, wine or cider for consumption with a table meal on relevant premises when accompanied by a person aged over 18 | No defence available | £1,000.00 |
| Knowingly allowing consumption of alcohol on the premises by a person aged under 18 | Any person who works at the premises in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid, which authorises him to prevent the supply; any member or officer of a club who at the time was present in a capacity which enabled him to prevent it |
No defence available | Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly delivering alcohol sold or supplied on the premises to a person aged under 18 (also applies to clubs) | Any person who works at the premises in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid | Delivering to the buyer’s home or work; where the underage person works at the premises in a capacity that involves alcohol delivery; or where the alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises |
Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly allowing someone else to deliver alcohol sold on relevant premises to a person aged under 18 | Any person who works at the premises, whether paid or unpaid in a capacity that authorises him to prevent the delivery | Delivering to the buyer’s home or work; where the underage person works at the premises in a capacity that involves alcohol delivery; or where the alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises | Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly allowing someone else to deliver alcohol sold on the premises to a person aged under 18 by or on behalf of a Club, or to the order of a Member | Any person who works at the premise in a capacity, paid or unpaid, which authorises him to prevent the supply, and any member or officer of the Club present at the time in a capacity that enables him to prevent it | Delivering to the buyer’s home or work; where the underage person works at the premises in a capacity that involves alcohol delivery; or where the alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises | Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly sending a child to buy alcohol to be consumed off the relevant premises; supplying alcohol by or on behalf of a Club for the same reason (except where instructed by a constable or a Trading Standards Officer) | Any person | No defence | Unlimited fine |
| Knowingly allowing a person aged under 18 to sell alcohol or supply alcohol on behalf of a club, unless the sale or supply has been specifically approved by that person. This does not apply where the alcohol is sold for consumption with a table meal in premises used for the service of table meals or a part of the premises used for this and where the premises are not used for the sale and supply of alcohol except to persons having table meals as an ancillary to eating | Premises Licence Holder; Designated Premises Supervisor; person aged over 18 authorised by a Premises Licence Holder or DPS; any member or officer of a Club where present in a capacity which authorises him to prevent the supply; a Premises User under a Temporary Event Notice or person aged over 18 authorise for this purpose by the Premises User | No defence available | £200.00 |
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