IF YOU suspect shopkeepers are selling booze, tobacco or even knives to kids, you can now tip off trading standards via a new hotline.
The hotline gives people an easy way to make complaints about shops which are selling age-restricted products to young people, while staying anonymous.
It has been set up by Medway Council and will be officially launched this Friday, July 17, at Sainsbury’s at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, Gillingham.
Anyone caught selling age-restricted goods to young people can be fined £5,000 and the shopkeeper can also lose their licence.
Selling alcohol, cigarettes and knives to under-age children is not only illegal but often leads to anti-social behaviour and cam even result in serious injury or even death.
Once a call is made to the hotline, Medway Council’s trading standards team will investigate the complaint and provide the shopkeeper with training through the No ID No Sale scheme.
A spokesman for the council said: “Medway Council is continuing to resolve the problem of underage sales.
“This new initiative is a great way for the council and the community to work together to put a stop to this problem and it is important that retailers understand this is a serious issue and we will take action.
“Medway Council is committed to making our streets safe and this further demonstrates it.”
The No ID No Sale scheme is aimed at creating a culture in which young people expect to be asked to prove their age and in which retailers accept only the correct forms of ID.
The hotline number is 01634 334455, alternatively email underagesales@medway.gov.uk