Asda backs staff who won't sell alcohol to parents shopping with children
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Version 0 of 1. Supermarket giant Asda has defended a policy of preventing parents buying alcohol if they are accompanied by their children, saying it is helping to protect its staff from the risk of prosecution. Although the law permits anyone over the age of 18 to buy alcohol, checkout staff at Asda's 572 stores are in some cases refusing to sell it to parents who take their children shopping with them. Asda bosses have backed staff, saying they would prefer them to be "over cautious" rather than face prosecution for selling alcohol to under-age drinkers. Most UK supermarkets have introduced a policy on drink sales where staff are expected to challenge anyone who looks under 25 to prove that they are over 18 - the so-called "Challenge 25" policy. They are also able to stop shoppers from buying alcohol if there are "reasonable grounds" that it might be passed on to someone aged under 18. Checkout staff can face a personal fine from the authorities if they are caught selling to under-age drinkers. Asda said in a statement: "Although it may seem a bit heavy-handed, we don't blame our colleagues for being over-cautious. "If they serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 the law says they will be held personally responsible and could be handed an on the spot fine. Where there is any element of doubt we support our colleagues to make the right decision." A spokesman explained: "We'd never intentionally upset a customer but we're committed to selling alcohol responsibly. This is why we introduced a Challenge 25 policy to help colleagues stay the right side of the law. "Clearly it's very difficult for a colleague to guess someone's age just by looking at them, so if they're unsure in any situation we encourage them to err on the side of caution. As you can see it's a very difficult position for our colleagues to be in." Other supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and the Co-op expect their checkout staff to demand ID where a shopper appears to be under 25. New figures have revealed the extent of alcohol dependence in the UK with more than half a million people hospitalised in the past three years because of drink or drugs - the vast majority of cases specifically related to alcohol. Asda said the policy was not a new one, but had surfaced in the media after a mother of three complained to the Daily Mail. Tracey Trigg, age 51, from Boston, Lincolnshire, was stopped from buying drink along with groceries twice in a week at an Asda store. Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |