Drink daftness

From the onset of the most recent alcohol licensing legislation, I have witnessed some examples which highlight how flawed, petty, misunderstood and ultimately futile the current rules in reducing alcohol related problems are (your report, 13 March).

I recently saw a Polish woman (clearly aged in her mid-to-late thirties) being refused the sale of wine in a supermarket. The till supervisor did not accept one of her many (and legitimate) forms of ID, insisting instead on a passport. Who carries their passport around with them on a daily basis?

More bizarrely, I witnessed a well-presented man in his forties, accompanied by a younger girl, who I believe was his daughter, being refused service for beers in the supermarket. The reason given was that "he could have been buying them for the girl", who did not have ID. The fact that he was the girl's father and she was merely accompanying him had no effect on the check-out girl. I was embarrassed for them.

Most annoying, given the fact that I enjoy working part-time in a small but busy Edinburgh bar, are the current, baffling laws on staff drinks. Or more notably, the lack of them. After a busy night of serving customers on what can be a long and tiring shift, it is now not permitted to enjoy a quick beer after closing. We have been informed of this in person, having had visits from both the police and licensing "enforcers". Both the police and licensing informed us that they do not agree with the new laws, but they have to be upheld.

We are in danger of becoming a nation of jobsworths and busybodies enforcing half-witted legislation. That aside, it's fitting that the police had time to send out two officers, on what must have been a busy weekend night, to detect such heinous crimes.

EUAN FORSYTH

Breadalbane Street

Edinburgh