Birkenhead Park RFC

Would all members and guests please note that the club operates a Challenge 25 policy. The club asks all members and guests to respect the policy and the staff implementing it.

Challenge 25 is a retailing strategy that encourages anyone who is over 18 but looks under 25 to carry acceptable ID (a card bearing the PASS hologram, a photographic driving license or a passport) if they wish to buy alcohol.

The UK’s Licensing Act 2003 makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy—or try to buy—alcohol. Conversely, alcohol retailers and licensed premises are strictly prohibited from selling alcohol to underage customers.

Acceptable forms of ID include passports, driver’s licences, proof of age cards, and military identification. The IDs must include the holder’s photograph, date of birth, and a holographic mark or ultraviolet feature.

Penalties for underage sales:
Councils, licensing authorities, and police can conduct random checks on premises, sending in underage customers to try to buy alcohol. They can impose penalties on both individual employees and premise license holders for underage sales.

If you sell alcohol to minors, you can face a range of penalties.
For a single instance of selling alcohol to a minor, you may be issued an on-the-spot penalty notice (i.e., a fine). Alternatively, you can be prosecuted by the relevant licensing authority, which can lead to fines of up to £5,000.

The persistent sale of alcohol to a minor (on 2 or more occasions within 3 months) can result in a closure notice as an alternative to prosecution. If prosecuted, the charge attracts fines of up to £20,000 and a licence suspension of up to 3 months.

Regardless of whether you’re prosecuted, licensing authorities may also review your licence following an underage sale. This can result in the licensing authority imposing restrictions on your licence or suspending or revoking the licence.

Many thanks