Undercover cops to spy on drinkers

by Phil Corrigan

BAR staff caught serving drunken party-goers face losing their licences as part of a summer police crackdown.

Officers will be going undercover in Newcastle pubs and clubs to ensure under-18s are not sold booze.

Plain clothes officers will mingle with revellers as part of Operation Nerve – a strategy also aimed at curbing alcohol-fuelled violence.

Landlords will be aware that police are operating in their premises.

But they will not know the identity of individual officers, who will also be able to call for back-up if they spot other crimes such as drug dealing or violence.

Publicans found breaking the rules face a court hearing and the potential loss of their licence.

The operation, supported by Newcastle Borough Council, started on Wednesday and will run until the end of September.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "The officers will predominately be looking out for people being served who have already had too much to drink, as well as under-age drinking.

"Pubs and clubs know they are not allowed to serve people if they are drunk."

Police officers will also able to issue £80 on-the-spot fines to bar staff who are seen serving drunk customers.

But the initiative has received a lukewarm reception from licensees in the town.

Dan Maddox, below, chairman of Newcastle's Pubwatch scheme, said he felt that undercover officers would have difficulty in judging if customers were too drunk.

He said: "As we all know, people are affected by alcohol in different ways and bar staff are obligated by law to responsibly make an on-the-spot judgment about whether a person has had too much to drink or not.

"While we as licensees appreciate what the police are aiming to achieve, we do not feel comfortable they can apply these fines fairly and consistently without using set guidelines, in order to measure how drunk a person is.

"If any appeals are made against these fines, I can see them being quite interesting."

Operation Nerve will also involve uniformed patrols in the town centre.

The operation will also see the introduction of Staffordshire Police's new "magic torches", which can detect evidence of cocaine and amphetamine use.

Newcastle Neighbourhood Policing Unit commander Inspector Neil Hulme said: "If you are drunk, you are an easier target and more likely to become a victim of crime. Any violence caused by drunkenness will not be tolerated."

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Story filed in: Staffordshire Police | Newcastle | Operation Nemesis