South Ayrshire Council News

Fake Passport

South Ayrshire Trading Standards this week described their latest test purchasing results as ‘appalling’ and have told local retailers they need to do much better or face enforcement action after every single store they visited sold cigarettes or butane gas (an abused solvent that has led to deaths in the past) to their young test purchase volunteer.

The alarming results from their latest round of underage checks, came after an initiative to see whether traders correctly requested proof of age from a young test purchase volunteer, and if so, whether the stores would then spot and refuse the fake ID’s and bogus ‘driving licences’ they had ordered for her over the internet. However, Officers were dismayed to discover that virtually none of the 21 stores even bothered asking proof of age, despite the majority of them boldly displaying ‘over 21’s’ and ‘over 25’s’ policies.

A spokesperson for Trading Standards said, “These dreadful results came as a huge surprise and reflect badly on the steps retailers – big, medium and small - are taking to reduce underage sales locally. We didn’t use our normal test purchasing procedures, as we wanted to examine whether traders would challenge the use of fake ID’s, which is a growing national problem. So we used an 18 year old which meant the sales weren’t illegal. However, almost without exception we didn’t have the opportunity to test the fake ID’s, as they simply weren’t needed or asked for to purchase cigarettes or butane gas.”

“We have made great efforts to ensure that the correct message gets through to traders and have supplied most with a Trading Standards Age Related Sales Pack. The pack gives traders all the advice and display material they need. The pack re-iterates the “No Proof – No sale” message on every page. There is no excuse for these results, particularly for the several branches of large national retailers that sold without asking for proof of age. Most of these stores have over 21 or over 25 policies and that means they should ask for valid proof of age from anyone who ‘could possibly be’ under 21 or 25 respectively. Our results show that’s just not happening. Our volunteer was an average looking if slightly small 18 year old so it seems they are blatantly ignoring their own procedures designed to avoid them breaking the law. We abide by the National Code of Guidance which dictates that our test purchase volunteers should have just turned 16 and won’t use fake ID’s, but perhaps this project shows we are being unrealistically fair and are making it too easy for local traders to spot our underage test purchasers.”

Councillor Peter Convery, responsible for Trading Standards issues in South Ayrshire stated, “The sale of fake ID’s, proof of age cards, bogus driving licences and national ID cards from UK websites has been a long standing problem which creates confusion amongst retailers and licensees, who are urged only to accept passports, genuine driving licences and proof of age cards with a ‘PASS’ hologram logo. It is inconceivable that UK based businesses are making profit from supplying false credentials to allow our young people access to products such as tobacco, solvents, knives alcohol. We will make strong efforts to tackle these websites where we can.”

Councillor Convery added, "Dangerous and highly addictive products like tobacco are legally restricted by age as they cause 13,000 deaths and cost £140 million to the NHS in Scotland every year. The Scottish Government recently announced additional funding for Trading Standards across Scotland to the tune of £1.5 million for the next 3 years for an enhanced programme of visits for tobacco enforcement. We will increase our efforts to ensure that the correct message gets through to traders initially through advice, but if that message continues to fall on deaf ears then we will report to the Procurator Fiscal where necessary. Every trader who sold in this instance will now face a retest in the coming weeks”.
Trading Standards are urging anyone who wishes to complain of underage sales, or traders who wish advice and a free age related sales pack, to contact them on 01290 616060, or visit their Consumer & Business Advice Centre at 5-7 River Terrace, Ayr. KA8 0BJ.