Underage Drinking Sting Closes Ripley Pub

Derbyshire Police and Trading Standards worked together to test the bar staff of the Out of Town Inn in Ripley.  The operations sent young people into the pub to see whether they would be sold alcohol or checked for age ID.   The pub failed both tests, each time selling alcohol to minors.

As a consequence of this operation, the Out of Town Inn on Butterley Hill has been issued with a temporary closure order.  They will be closed from Thursday 4th February through to Sunday 7th February

PC Roger Brown, of the licensing team which cover the Amber Valley, said: “I am disappointed that the staff at the Out of Town sold alcohol to young people under the age of 18, and the fact that it happened on two separate occasions gave us cause for concern. The closure notice has been issued, and they will have time to look at their operating procedures.
“We work very closely with trading standards and all our partner agencies to promote, safeguard and enhance our night time economies. I would urge any licensees to contact our team or the local authority if they have questions about age verification or general operating guidelines.”

Dave, the landlord of the Out of Town told us that the staff member in question was not regular bar staff “He was just temporary, there for the day.”  He also stated that “It’s just a trading standards issue, not a problem with the pub.”

Derbyshire Police and trading standards regularly conduct test purchasing operations across the county to ensure compliance with regulations against underage drinking   Further tests of this nature will be taking place across the Amber Valley

The Out of Town Inn will reopen on Monday 8th February.