Off licences across the borough have been tested by the police to see if they sold alcohol to underage customers - and together received a 100 per cent pass mark for the first time ever.
A total of 15 off-licences across Sutton were visited by plain clothes police licensing officers supported by police cadets, who were also in casual clothes, on Friday 30 October.
Under the supervision of police officers, the cadets, aged 15 and 16, entered the premises and attempted to buy alcohol. All the off licences refused to sell alcohol because the customers were aged under 18.
Police Licensing Sergeant John Withersby said: "This is the first time we have had an across-the-board success with off-licences refusing to sell alcohol during our test purchasing activities."
Six premises selling fireworks and three premises selling knives were also visited as part of the initiative - with just two failures - as part of these test purchase operations that involve Police and Sutton Council Trading Standards teams working closely together to ensure licensed premises comply with the conditions of their licence agreements.
Premises that fail will receive appropriate training to ensure they have the right measures in place to protect children from harm.
Sgt Withersby added: "We will be out and about in the run-up to Christmas and the New Year to ensure that all licensed premises including pubs are meeting the standards we require."
Cllr Jayne McCoy, Chair of the Housing, Economy & Business Committee at Sutton Council, said: "We congratulate the police and the Trading Standards team for their sterling work across the borough in ensuring that traders recognise their responsibilities and do not sell age-related goods to children and young people.
"It is important that traders understand their responsibilities to uphold the law and that should they be found selling fireworks, knives or alcohol to children and young people that an appropriate enforcement response will be considered."
Licensed premises that repeatedly fail test purchases after training can expect to have their licences reviewed by the Council's licensing committee possibly leading to their licences being revoked.
Police Licensing Sergeant John Withersby said: "This is the first time we have had an across-the-board success with off-licences refusing to sell alcohol during our test purchasing activities."
Six premises selling fireworks and three premises selling knives were also visited as part of the initiative - with just two failures - as part of these test purchase operations that involve Police and Sutton Council Trading Standards teams working closely together to ensure licensed premises comply with the conditions of their licence agreements.
Premises that fail will receive appropriate training to ensure they have the right measures in place to protect children from harm.
Sgt Withersby added: "We will be out and about in the run-up to Christmas and the New Year to ensure that all licensed premises including pubs are meeting the standards we require."
Cllr Jayne McCoy, Chair of the Housing, Economy & Business Committee at Sutton Council, said: "We congratulate the police and the Trading Standards team for their sterling work across the borough in ensuring that traders recognise their responsibilities and do not sell age-related goods to children and young people.
"It is important that traders understand their responsibilities to uphold the law and that should they be found selling fireworks, knives or alcohol to children and young people that an appropriate enforcement response will be considered."
Licensed premises that repeatedly fail test purchases after training can expect to have their licences reviewed by the Council's licensing committee possibly leading to their licences being revoked.