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700 children caught with fake ids in crackdown on Sheffield’s underage drinkers
PC Matt Burdett with fake ID cards seized in Sheffield pubs and clubs
SEVEN hundred children have been caught this year trying to get into Sheffield’s pubs and clubs using fake ID, police have revealed.
Bouncers have seized birth certificates, passports and driving licences from youngsters trying to pass themselves off as somebody else - often an older friend or relative.
Now the Sheffield crackdown - a joint operation run by police, pubs and clubs - has won the attention of the Home Office, and could be copied as ‘best practice’ in cities and towns across the country.
Many of the Sheffield youngsters found trying to pass off fake ID have been sent to ‘restorative justice’ workshops to educate them about the consequences - potentially a criminal record for fraud, or putting bars out of business if owners lose their licences.
It is hoped the crackdown will cut alcohol-fuelled disorder in the city centre - and avoid children being put through the courts.
But those caught twice could still be prosecuted, police have warned.
PC Matthew Burdett, of the City Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “The Home Office found out about what we are doing here in Sheffield and is now rolling this out as good practice across the country.
“We are using restorative justice as a way of dealing with young people we find with fake ID, because we don’t want to criminalise them.
“Instead we want to educate them about the consequences of their actions - not only what having a criminal conviction will mean for them in future, but the impact their actions can have on bars and clubs.
“If premises are found with underage customers we can apply for a 48-hour closure and a review of the licence and ultimately they could be forced to close.
“Our hope is not only will the workshops be rolled out across South Yorkshire, but we would like to see them being run in schools to get the message across to young people before they start trying to get into bars and clubs.”
Inspector Alex Murthi added: “Instead of criminalising young people, the scheme will offer education about the law and the consequences of a criminal record, and explain the effects underage drinking can have on health, on personal safety - and on licensed premises.”
But he warned: “This is a one-off opportunity - anyone caught a second time could be dealt with by way of criminal prosecution.”
Scott Bailey from Plug nightclub on Matilda Street is also chairman of U-night - a group of bar and club representatives who meet police and licensing officials once a month to discuss issues of concern.
He said: “This is proving to be a fantastic success.
“Licensees were pushing for a scheme to help us deal with the issue, because the days are gone of people downloading fake European driving licences from the internet.
“Now people are just borrowing passports and driving licences belonging to friends, brothers and sisters, hoping to pass themselves off as older than they are.”
He added: “Nobody wants to see young people criminalised, but they do need to realise the consequences of their actions.”
Older friends and relatives who have allowed their ID to be used by youngsters are also being asked to attend the workshops.
Sheffield’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team is also involved, along with substance misuse service The Corner and Sheffield’s Safeguarding Children Board.
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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Comments
There are 19 comments to this article
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Strigidae
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 12:36 PMI am not an old fuddy duddy (well yes actually I am) but I do get a little worried when it appears that people seem to think its OK for them to decide which laws are important, and which are not and then decide that is Ok to break them. The law is the law even when it is an Ass and its not for any of us to support law breaking. And yes 16 to 17 year olds are children
Woodseats Sammy
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 09:16 AMCracking comment overheard in a social club last night: 'Finding an underage drinker in here would be as rare as finding a virgin over 14 in Parson Cross.'
louisehannah
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:11 PMFunnily enough i know for a fact that some bouncers sell on id's that they have taken off people! Absolutely ridiculous! at the end of the day many other laws are broken and not even noticed, i think its a minor issue! most underage drinkers don't even drink enough when they are out anyway in case they get questioned on their id's and because it is too costly to buy a lot of drinks.
S2 Mancunian
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 07:57 PMadeliza 16-17 year olds are children!
dromedary
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 06:50 PM#9 You are right. . . . Confiscating items must only be done by a police officer and the person must also be cautioned ie read their rights which a bouncer cant legally do. . . . Turn them away is all they should do. . . . It may be false representation by the person but I don't think it can be classed as fraud as under section 2 of the 2006 fraud act as the person is not gaining from the transaction. . . . That's probably why no-one has been prosecuted for this. . . . In fact the police may be braking the law by encouraging this aspect.
adeliza
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 02:41 PMI think this headline is a little misleading, "700 children?!" I would think that the people caught out would probably be 16-17 which are not children, I know in the eyes of the law a person is a child until 18, but a person of 16-17 can look older than a 25 year old with the proper clothes and make up, a better headline would have been "700 underage drinkers".
JGKES
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 02:18 PMGood point joseremirez 8;providing an unauthorised document for another to break the law is a serious criminal offence and in the case of facilitating an action requiring a person to be 18 is not one committed by a must-not-be criminalised youngster.However,probably too much bother for the cops to pursue the matter.
JGKES
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 02:10 PM!.Do the police think they've uncovered a new scam,because their self-congratulatory tone seems to suggest they do?.Fake ID has been around for years.2.Usual threat to the soft target-the pub's licence-instead of sanctioning the real culprits.3.How is the pub,bar etc supposed to know without a photo that the document is false?4.Usual clap trap about not criminalising the young.The crime rate in this country today would be considerably lower if for the last 4 decades some young law-breakers had been given a meaningful punishment instead of the talking to or "education" which is now the vogue.There'd be a lot less ASB for a start.When are the people who dream up these theories going to learn that many criminal youngsters laugh at the police and the do-gooders.5.Why is PC Burdett pictured in a silly pose?For his scrapbook?Still he's good at His Masters Voice,well versed in Policespeak.6Waste-of-time PSHE in schools taking another hit.
doggtheveryspecialdeputy
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 12:39 PM@4 One big problem there is you can get s4!tfaced in the park for £3-4 on cheap cidre, that would get them a pint in the pub. @7 agreed, I cant think of many people who waited till their 18 birthday to go to the pub.
joseramirez
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 12:31 PMI expect it'll be a game of "who's the most colanderesque" on Sunday.
Dingle Dickie
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 11:18 AMThis thing has more holes in it than Wednesday's back four. Who decides that the ID is false anyway? The 'bouncers'? If someone is 18 but only looks 16, are they going to have their genuine ID confiscated because some big lump in a dickie-bow decides on a whim that they're not 18, when in fact they are? The most they can do is turn them away and ask them to go elsewhere. Any 'confiscation' is in fact theft.....
joseramirez
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:51 AMI'm not trained in law but I would have thought that legally, there's a significant difference between "fake" ids and stolen or "borrowed" ids which it would appear these are. Therefore, other serious crimes are being committed which are being completely ignored. It's a strange world we live in. As an aside, it's also a poor description of the facts by the police and rather lazy investigation and reporting by the Star not to pursue the issue. We should though be used to that.
Zap
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:42 AMdidn't everyone go into pubs before they were old enough - its a bit of a rite of passage - society's got too nanny state and look where its left us
ISeeEverything
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:31 AMI started drinking in pubs at 16. Never once asked for ID. I like to think I've got a sensible approach to alcohol. I've certainly never been drunk and disorderly in the city centre. Are the two linked? I suspect they are.
freedom
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:13 AMLet them drink and pay tax, whilst they are supervised by adults. The pub is supposed to be the hub of the community. Not an adults only environment.
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