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Adults who buy booze for kids are being targeted in a new blitz by the Safer Portsmouth Partnership.
Children as young as 12 are drinking alcohol bought by adults. The problem is growing, leading to more vandalism, intimidation of passers-by and other anti-social behaviour.
Youngsters can get alcohol from an adult friend or relative, or by persuading shop customers to buy it for them.
The crime is known as a 'proxy sale', and adults risk an on-the-spot penalty of £80 or a fine of up to £5,000 if they're caught.
Now, Portsmouth City Council trading standards officers are launching a campaign to crack down on the problem, working with Hampshire Police as part of the Safer Portsmouth Partnership.
The ProxyWatch campaign, the first of its kind in the country, starts tomorrow (Friday 4 April). It will involve:
Portsmouth City Council's head of trading standards, Rob Briggs, said: "This problem has grown in the last few years. One of the reasons is that we have clamped down on direct sales to children. Shops and off-licences are getting the message about selling to under-18s and making proper ID checks.
"But this means some youngsters are trying to get alcohol in other ways. Sometimes they get it from home, or by stealing. And there's definitely an increase in cases of adult customers buying it for children. This is leading to increased reports of intimidation, criminal damage and drunken behaviour.
"A lot of proxy sales come from older members of groups buying drink for under-18s. But during our observations we have seen many strangers approached - even our own undercover trading standards officers.
"On operations with police we find children as young as 12 with alcohol from proxy sales. The alcohol is confiscated by the police.
"This is the first campaign of its type designed to directly tackle the issue of proxy sales, and if it's successful we hope that other councils will take it on."
"We've been working hard to make sure shops understand the issue, and have had an excellent response from supermarkets and smaller stores, who have agreed to display campaign posters and pass on information.
"We're hoping people will get in touch with details that will help us pinpoint where the problems are and take action. They can be anonymous if they want to.
"If people tip us off then they will be helping make their community a better place, with fewer problems of youths hanging around outside shops causing trouble.
"We will be using information we get to mount undercover operations with the police, trying to catch adults in the act of buying alcohol for under-18s.
"Any shops who want posters and information can contact us and we'll supply them with what they need."
A major supporter of the campaign is the Co-op. Gareth Lewis, Southern Co-operatives' head of loss prevention and compliance, said: ''The effects of anti-social behavior fuelled by alcohol can have a devastating impact upon a community.
"We are proud to support this project. Trading standards and the police should be applauded for their innovative approach to this issue and the way in which they have involved the business community. This is the first project of its type in the UK and Southern Co-operatives are fully committed to its success."
The ProxyWatch team can be contacted by:
Portsmouth City Council
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
Hampshire, PO1 2BG
023 9283 4092
general@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
