Time. Now.

You might only just have heard of Operation Punnet, or might have assumed that the strawberry Police enforcement unit is rigorously checking the number of seeds on each strawberry, but the reality is far different and much more serious.

Operation Punnet, run jointly by North Wales Police with Conwy and Denbighshire County Council licensing teams and other agencies, saw a staggering 11 pubs in Ruthin, Denbigh and Llanfair DC ordered to close their doors for two days.
A further two pubs in Colwyn Bay and Abergele had their licences suspended for a week or more. All 13 boozers were caught out by Test purchasers, all girls aged 15 and 16, sent to try to buy alcoholic drinks in December and January, supervised by undercover police.
As punishment for serving them, the Central Hotel, on Station Road, Colwyn Bay, can’t sell alcohol for two weeks after staff were twice caught selling to the test purchasers.

Police say alcohol-related violent crime inside these premises dropped by 56% on average while measures to stop selling to underage drinkers were active, and incidents of alcohol-related violent crime in neighbouring streets in Rhyl also dipped by 11% during those three months, a statistic which translates to 27 fewer assaults and public order offences, compared with a similar period in the previous 12 months.

As a new ID scanner, which takes a photo of official documents like a driving license or passport, and flashes up the person’s picture on a computer screen is being pushed hard, the redoubtable Roly Schwarz, said: “We’ve found some people let into pubs have actually had their ID checked, and it shows they’re 17, so this will help door staff work out people’s ages quicker.”

Alcohol and teenagers don't mix. The evidence is overwhelming, from the additional strain on the NHS to the community effects of vandalism, assault, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour.  Pubs who serve it to youngsters without ensuring that they're the appropriate age ought to be closed - and fast.