main content CDs help in the fight against under-age sales

Small businesses in Bromley are being given advice on how to handle restricted sales.

The Trading Standards team at Bromley Council have hand delivered Age Check CDs to businesses selling age-restricted products such as tobacco, alcohol, knives and fireworks.

The CDs, which can be played in five different languages, show realistic scenarios traders may face. They offer advice on how to avoid confrontation and how to defuse a potentially awkward situation. Also included is a summary of the law regarding age-restricted products, along with advice on the best way to avoid selling to under-age children, an interactive quiz for employees and useful documents to print and use for training staff.

Funded by the Safer Bromley Partnership, the CDs are the latest in a series of materials from the Council to help reduce the number of sales of alcohol, tobacco and fireworks to under-age children.

Cllr. Neil Reddin, Bromley Council's Executive Councillor for Community Safety and Leisure and Chair of the Safer Bromley Partnership, said: “Trading Standards officers have to enforce the law relating to under-age sales. Where we have evidence of illegal sales to children we will take action. By offering a range of information and advice to local businesses we try to make sure that retailers fully understand their obligations under the law. This, in turn, helps us reduce the number of illegal sales in the borough.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The Safer Bromley Partnership is committed to continuously improving safety in Bromley. We want a borough where people can live, work, play and learn safely. Our members include Bromley Council, Bromley Police, Health, Probation, Fire and London Ambulance Services, the Metropolitan Police Authority and Broomleigh Housing Association.
• For media enquiries, please contact Susie Clark, Communications Officer, on 020 8461 7911, or email susie.clark@bromley.gov.uk