Pub chief attacks police for hounding underage drinkers

Published on Saturday 23 February 2008 18:48

THE owner of one of Britain's biggest pub chains has launched an outspoken attack on police and ministers for trying to "entrap" underage drinkers in bars.

Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, rubbished high-profile campaigns to drive teenagers out of bars as misguided "showboating". The tycoon, who owns hundreds of pubs across the country, claimed the strategy put youngsters at greater risk by leaving them to drink unsupervised in the streets and at parties.

But Martin's comments provoked an angry reaction from the Scottish Government and alcohol-awareness charities, who insisted the law must be strictly enforced if the nation's binge-drinking problem is to be challenged.

Martin, writing in his firm's in-house magazine, said: "Issues concerning drinking are much at the fore of media and government circles these days and there are serious questions to be addressed by us all.

"We have drawn attention to 'displacement activity', whereby police and other resources are focused hugely on keeping those under 18 out of pubs, when 99.9% of adults themselves started drinking in pubs at 15 or 16. This does not address the real problems associated with binge drinking; these are cultural in nature, concentrated in much older age groups than teenagers and exemplified by the glorification of heavy drinking occasions by celebrities, sports stars and others across the media."

Martin, who pointed out his chain sold more than one million coffees in December alone, added: "The Government should avoid 'showboating' with high-profile campaigns, designed to entrap 17-year-olds using pubs, as this utterly avoids the real issue and, indeed, makes matters worse by driving many young people into a culture of drinking vodka at parties, and on other unsupervised occasions, storing up further problems for the future.

"Well-run pubs, providing a convivial melting pot for society, are a fabulous institution and should not be victimised in a misplaced attempt to solve alcohol abuse."

But a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government defended its policy of sending underage teenage volunteers to attempt to purchase alcohol from licensed premises. "Selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 is illegal. Given the problems alcohol misuse is causing in this country it is entirely appropriate that the police are enforcing this law. The test purchasing scheme is not designed to trap people. It is designed to help enforce the law."

"We expect tough action to be taken against those who flout the law regardless of whether it is pubs, a corner shop or a supermarket.

"That isn't showboating. It's giving police the tools to do their job. Responsible licensees have nothing to fear from this.

She said there was no attempt by the Government to victimise pubs. "We are working to try to take action to overturn Scotland's 'drinking to get drunk culture', which is costing our health service, criminal justice system, economy and communities far too much."

Alcohol Focus Scotland, which raises awareness of the dangers of excess drinking, also took issue with the Wetherspoon owner's claims.

Chief executive Jack Law said: "Mr Martin claims that police and other resources are focused on keeping under-18s out of pubs, but it should be licensees, not the police, who are the first point of enforcement. His claim that 99.9% of adults started drinking in pubs at 15 or 16 proves far too many licensees haven't been in the habit of enforcing the law.

"Go to any city centre on a Saturday night when the pubs close and it's clear that people have been served alcohol when they've already had too much to drink. There must be stricter enforcement of this law."

Ian Dickinson, Assistant Chief Constable with Lothian and Borders Police, has led responsibility for the deployment of 16-year-old volunteers attempting to buy alcohol from pubs and off licences across Scotland. "Many of the problems associated with youth disorder and antisocial behaviour are directly attributable to the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol by individuals who are under 18."

However, Bill Aitken, the Glasgow Tory MSP and convener of Holyrood's Justice Committee, sympathised with Martin. "He's right. Youngsters are getting drunk from off-sale premises, they are not going into pubs, because publicans would throw them out. The real problem is that the authorities are not clamping down hard on off licences that sell drink to children. Any premises caught should lose their licence for three months."

Beers, cheers, jeers and tears

ARM-in-arm and teetering on high heels, the group of girls burst into an impromptu chorus of "Umbrella" by Rihanna as they make their way along Sauchiehall Street.

Sparkly cowboy hats are their only means of protection from the rain, but no amount of bad weather, it seems, will dampen their night out.

They giggle and roar with approval as passing cars honk their horns at them. One man in his early 20s leans out from the window of a Vauxhall Corsa and bawls an obscene request.

Everyone laughs as one of the group, wearing tiny shorts and a skimpy top, waves an upraised middle finger in his direction. It is a typical scene that is played out almost nightly in city centres across binge-drinking Britain.

But Fiona and her friends are 16 and 17. Despite their age – and the warnings of the Government and police – the girls waltz unchallenged into pubs and clubs every weekend. These super-confident girls are the face of teenage drinking in towns and cities throughout Scotland.

But how do they get served? "People ask us to come into their bars and clubs," said Fiona, who clearly sees herself as Strathclyde's answer to Paris Hilton. "They want us to be there."

Sure enough, as they walk along what is arguably Scotland's biggest party strip they are surrounded by men and women handing out flyers offering discount entry to pubs and clubs. The high-school student, who claims to have drunk four bottles of Smirnoff Ice and a shot of Sambuca, adds: "What else is there to do at the weekend but go out and party? We are not going to just stay in and watch TV."

Her friend Anna is equally blas. "My mum and dad have given me twenty quid so I could come out tonight and enjoy myself with my mates.

"My dad started drinking in pubs when he was 15 so he is hardly in any position to give me a hard time.

"No one waits until they are 18 to go drinking in pubs. My parents would rather have me drinking in the house or in the pub than out in the street."

Another of the group, who is clearly the worse for wear, interrupts: "Some places are really strict and always ask for ID. But we just stay away from them and stick to the places where the bouncers know us and let us in."

With their heavily made-up faces and streetwise swagger, any one of the group could easily pass for 22 or 23. Across the road a baby-faced lad of around 16 attempts to scramble up some metal scaffolding. Cheered on by his beery mates, each of whom wears a strict uniform of checked designer shirts and jeans, the glassy-eyed, ginger-haired teenager swings from a bar like an inebriated chimp before being moved on by police officers.

Along the street a teenager – who could have been as young as 15 – squats frog-like on his haunches vomiting noisily.

A taxi driver honks his horn loudly as a girl with ripped tights and a bloodied knee lurches out into the road, seemingly oblivious to the danger. She is crying, carrying her shoes in her hands. It's late and her friends are nowhere to be seen. It's a sobering sight.

Is Wetherspoon chief right?

YES

Clive Fairweather, former Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland:

"We have got to get to grips with this culture of young people getting drunk on alcohol they're getting from shops and drinking it in parks and homes. In general, a pub is a more controlled atmosphere.

"It used to be that only old men got drunk; young people couldn't afford to drink that much. Drink is too cheap and too easily available from the shops. If a bottle of whisky still cost relative to earnings what it used to when I was young, it would be about 60 or 70.

"I believe that for all we hear about drugs, alcohol is a much more serious issue."

NO

Chris Wigglesworth, board member of Alcohol Focus Scotland:

"We all acknowledge that the more serious problem is youngsters buying cheap alcohol from shops and getting drunk on it, and doing themselves real harm in the process.

"But that does not mean that we should turn a blind eye to underage drinking in pubs and bars and that everything there is rosy. The law is there for a reason: to protect young people.

"There is virtually no action being taken against people serving customers who are already intoxicated.

"I simply don't agree with this 'let's all relax, boys' approach at all."