Norfolk: Cash Rewards Offered For Alcohol Info

10 September 2012, 17:31 | Updated: 10 September 2012, 17:36

Upto £1000 cash is being offered for information about shops selling alcohol to underage teens or about people who buy it FOR them.

Cash rewards of up to £1,000 are on offer for information leading to the successful charge of those selling alcohol to young people under 18 and proxy sales of alcohol by adults for young people under 18 across Norfolk.

In a crack down on underage drinking across the county the independent charity Crimestoppers want residents to tell them what they know about illegal alcohol sales.Callers won’t be identified - it’s what you know, not who you are.

Ann Scott, Eastern Regional Manager for Crimestoppers, is urging anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, to contact Crimestoppersanonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org

She said: “We appreciate that not everyone feels comfortable going to the police or Trading Standards about underage and proxy sales of alcohol. No one has anything to fear by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers. You will remain 100% anonymous”.

She continued “Calls to the Crimestoppers’ phone number 0800 555 111 or information given through the website www.crimestoppers-uk.org  are 100% anonymous. We never ask for your name and no personal information is taken. We do not record our calls and do not trace calls or IP addresses. Those who give information do not have to give a statement to the police or go to court. In the 24 years that the charity has been running we have never revealed anyone’s identity.”

The call for information comes after a Great Yarmouth Community Alcohol Partnership was launched in April this year by Baroness Newlove and Eric Pickles MP. The partnership is made up of Norfolk Police, Norfolk County Council, Trading Standards, Great Yarmouth District Council, local Councillors, Youth Offending Team, schools, charities, alcohol support agencies and local industry – all working together to tackle underage drinking. Crimestoppers have joined the partnership in a bid to encourage members of the public to give information on underage drinking and are widening their appeal from Great Yarmouth to the whole of Norfolk.

Ann Scott went on to explain why supporting this initiative is so important: “Underage drinking cannot only have serious health implications for young people, it can leave them vulnerable and often a contributory factor to anti-social behaviour which impacts all members of the community. Many do not realise that buying alcohol on behalf of a young person can result in a fine of up to £5000. If you have any information about local shops selling alcohol to those who are underage or someone locally who is buying alcohol on behalf of those who are underage please get in contact with our charity. You will not have to reveal your identity so no one will know you have contacted us”.

“If you have young people in your family why not show them the website www.fearless.org. They can get impartial information here about alcohol and the consequences of drinking underage. They can also give information to Fearless anonymously if they feel unable to tell Police, parents or teachers”.

Only calls made to 0800 555 111 will be eligible for a reward. Those giving information given via www.crimestoppers-uk.org cannot claim a reward.