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Blackpool pub stripped of licence
A TOWN centre pub has been stripped of its licence for four weeks after being caught serving booze to under-age drinkers for the fourth time in 12 months.
The Washington, on Topping Street, Blackpool, was hauled before a licensing panel for the second time in less than a year after a barmaid served alcohol to two 14-year-olds.
Council bosses suspended the pub's licence for 28 days, and added seven new conditions to the licence, mainly relating to staff training.
The premises have 21 days in which to challenge the decision and may stay open pending an appeal.
Solicitor Steven Reynolds, representing the council's weights and measures department, which had called for the licence to be reviewed, said on August 2 two 14-year-old girls had been sent into the pub to make a test purchase and had been served alcohol.
This followed on from three previous failed test purchases, which had led to a review hearing in February where councillors agreed not to suspend the licence after hearing measures had been taken to prevent under-age sales in future.
But at that time they warned any further breaches would be dealt with more severely.
Mr Reynolds said: "There has been an under-age sale to two 14-year-old girls in August which follows a review for precisely the same issues in February this year.
"Despite a review on similar grounds and additional conditions being added to the licence, it is an inescapable truth that things are still going wrong and there are, at these premises, real risks of serious harm to children."
The town hall hearing was told Washington landlord Alistair Reid and his wife had been on holiday at the time of the test purchase in August but had instructed all staff to ask for the ID of any customers who appeared to be aged under 25.
Solicitor Jeremy Phillips, representing The Washington, said: "The company has tightened up procedures. Over 1,000 challenges and 86 refusals have been made over a five month time period so there is significant evidence of compliance.
"There has been no evidence of problems since that one instance back in August. That record I'm sure compares favourably with many of the other premises that come before you."
But Coun Julian Mineur, who chaired the panel, said they were "extremely concerned" about under-age alcohol sales and therefore had decided to impose a 28-day suspension of the licence.
He said: "This is a national problem but here in Blackpool we have more than our fair share."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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