Lincolnshire Pub Company Offer Rewards To Staff Who Identify Under 18’s Attempting to Purchase Alcohol

26 January 2007

A Lincolnshire pub company has today issued a memo to all of its 73 bar staff detailing how to correctly inspect any forms of ID presented to them when a customer who appears to under 21 attempts to purchase alcohol in their premises. They have also been issued with some photographs of samples of fake IDs that are currently available.

In the memo, Michael Kheng FBII, director of the Kurnia Group, has offered every member of staff a reward of £5 for each plastic fake ID they seize between now and the end of February 07.

Over the Christmas period a number of fake IDs were seized by vigilant members of staff within the Kurnia organization who operate bars a number of bars in Lincolnshire (Lincoln, Louth and Mablethorpe). Michael Kheng was surprised at the high quality of the fake IDs and has brought the matter to the attention of Lincolnshire Police who are now investigating how widespread the problem is. Michael commented that;

“the fake IDs look so real that untrained staff would more than likely accept them. I believe that the training we provide and the large number of our staff that are now holders of personal licenses enables us to try and keep on top.”

Kurnia also try and promote the issue regard under age sales via their consultancy company, Kurnia Licensing Consultants, who are one of Lincolnshire’s largest licensing firms.

By rewarding employees in identifying fake IDs it is hoped that the staff will be even more vigilant in regard to under age sales. Hopefully if other operators take a similar stance then under 18s will be deterred from visiting their premises. Michael Kheng went on to say.

“since we started to seize fake IDs we the amount trying to be produced has dropped. We think this is as a result of the under 18s not wanting to lose their fake IDs that they have paid £10-£15 for. If they are no longer visiting our premises then they must be visiting others.”

Michael Kheng chairs two local Pubwatches and has shown members of the Pubwatches the fake IDs that have been seized to other licensees in the towns are aware of what the fake IDs actually look like.