Combating under age sales

Your guide to age restricted products

One of our biggest commitments to people living and working in Barking and Dagenham is to continue to crack down on crime and antisocial behaviour.

Young people are attracted to products which can cause health problems or which can lead to antisocial behaviour. It has been proven that unless we can prevent people selling products such as alcohol and fireworks to young people, the community experiences a rising level of crime in general, and of antisocial behaviour in particular.

Because of this there are laws governing the age at which younger people can buy a wide range of goods.

To make sure that traders are not breaking these laws we carry out test-purchasing exercises. This involves young people working undercover with trading standards officers and the police, to see which shops will sell goods to under-age buyers.

In the past few years, many shops have illegally sold a variety of products, often resulting in the seller or the owner (or both) being prosecuted. If found guilty, there are fines of up to £5,000 and the possibility of a prison sentence. It is also possible that the license to sell alcohol will be withdrawn.

These web pages contain information and advice which will help you to avoid breaking the law and will make the borough a safer place for us all to live and work in.

Please read them carefully, and follow the advice given.

List of age-restricted products|

Cigarettes and other tobacco products|

Alcohol|

Fireworks|

Cigarette-lighter refills (butane gas)|

Intoxicating substances|

Knives and similar sharp objects|

Lottery tickets and scratch cards|

Videos, DVDs and computer games|

Refusals register|

Important points to remember|