Spalding retailer offers solution to tackling street drinking in town
A Spalding retailer has offered his own solution to tackling street drinking and booze-related trouble in the town.
“Don’t give out any more alcohol licenses to shops” is the message from Alan Mohamed, manager of Spalding Market, in Westlode Street.
The message comes just a week after Lincolnshire Police’s call for alcohol licenses in South Holland to be toughened up from next year to help stop street drinking and disorder were considered by the area’s licensing committee.
Sgt Kim Enderby, of the force’s alcohol licensing team, wants any new alcohol (premises) licenses to include a condition not to sell single cans or bottles of beer, cider and lager.
As reported on Tuesday in our sister newspaper, the Lincolnshire Free Press, other conditions would stop sales of super strength drinks with an alcohol by volume level above 6.5 per cent and require waterproof labels, showing the shop’s name and address, to be put on cans and bottles.
But Mr Mohamed said: “We’re trading very cleanly, following all the legal procedures and requirements from the police, as well as South Holland District Council.
“I don’t sell single cans or bottles, but people who buy two or more cans or bottles will make things worse.
“The main problem is with the council giving out alcohol licenses when we’ve asked it not to because it’s creating a big issue for us.
“I’ve been here for ten years and both the police and trading standards have been coming here all the time, thinking we’re trading illegally.
“There are 14 staff working at Spalding Market, all of different nationalities, and they have all been trained not to sell alcohol to customers under the age of 18.
“But I’m not going to stop selling super strength alcohol because there are very decent people who are buying it.”
Sgt Enderby said the recommendations from the police, which would also require shops to have “an effective CCTV system installed”, will help them to operate “responsibly and legitimately”.
But Mr Mohamed said: “It’s about the council stepping up and listening to us when we say stop giving out any more alcohol licenses to shops.”
Sgt Enderby said: “There is large amount of negotiation that takes place prior to a licensing application being made, or in the 28-day period once an application is submitted.
“Each individual application is looked at on its own merits, with a number of factors coming into play, such as location, opening hours, proposed operating style and the previous experience of applicant.
“However, the vast majority of applicants accept the conditions proposed by Lincolnshire Police and other responsible authorities.
Members of the council’s licensing committee met on Wednesday to consider the police’s recommendations.
Donington, Quadring and Gosberton district councillor Henry Bingham said: “I welcome the idea of banning sales of single cans and bottles as it can only promote cleaner town centres and it’ll be a massive deterrent for street drinking.”
