First on-the-spot fine for buying booze for under-18s

Friday night's action by the head of the Bexhill Neighbourhood Policing Team, Inspector James Scott, was the first time in the town that a fixed penalty ticket had been issued for the offence of "proxy buying."

Police warned recently that not only do licensees face stiff penalties for selling alcohol to young people who are unde-age but that any adult who buys it for them is also breaking the law.

Inspector Scott said: "We found a group of youths drinking from cans in Eversley Road.

"Our Police Community Support Officers did a very good job in making a search for bottles and cans hidden under cars in the car park in Eversley Road.

"A person had been identified from CCTV as buying alcohol for under-age drinkers.

"We picked up this male later in the town centre and challenged him with the CCTV evidence.

"He admitted the offence and I served him with an 80 fixed penalty ticket."

The Inspector said the 18 year-old had bought:

*Four bottles of Lambrini wine

*Seven cans of Stella lager

*20 cans of Carling lager

*Seven cans of Castlemaine lager

*Two quarter bottles of vodka

*Three bottles of Alcohol Mix

The Inspector declined to name the premises concerned but said it had cooperated fully with police.

"He had been in and out of the shop three times during the evening."

Ongoing police operations to crack down on under-age drinking are thought to have had an impact in bringing down crime, vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the town.

A recent large seizure of alcohol from under-age drinkers in the town centre was tipped down a drain at Bexhill police station.

Inspector Scott said this week: "We would obviously appeal for members of the public to assist us if they see groups of youths gathering with drink by informing us so we can target the area.

"We need the public's assistance to tackle this."