Taxi Driver Online

Evening Herald (Plymouth)

December 11, 2007 Tuesday

Licence swoop brings results

A major crackdown on public safety breaches and crime in Plymouth targeted pubs, clubs and taxis at the weekend.

The massive operation on Saturday night and Sunday morning - codenamed Operation Liquorice - saw officers from the council, police, fire service, customs and immigration service sweep the city.

During the night, suspected illegal immigrants found themselves under arrest, fines were handed out to clubs selling alcohol to under-age drinkers and around 20 taxis were temporarily barred from operating in the city.

The operation included:

Checking more than 50 hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to ensure they complied with their licences and that the vehicles were safe

Checks on staff by immigration officials

Visiting 60 premises to ensure they complied with licensing conditions

Trading standards patrols of off-licences, pubs and clubs to check for under-age sales and advise staff,

Specialist teams carrying out formal food hygiene and food standards inspections in late-night venues

Sampling alcohol to ensure counterfeit brands were not sold

Fire safety checks

Checks to ensure smoke-free legislation was being complied with.

More than 40 per cent of the hackney carriages and private hire vehicles checked were ordered to stop working due to licence and safety breaches - such as bald tyres and lack of roadworthiness. Officers also found one private hire driver using an unlicensed vehicle.

Three suspected illegal immigrants were arrested by immigration officials: a man and a woman from the Golden Dragon takeaway on Union Street and a woman from the Oriental Pearl restaurant on Notte Street.

A Border and Immigration spokesman said all three individuals were being removed from the UK.

Also, three on-licence premises were issued with penalty notices for selling alcohol to under-age customers.

Sergeant Martin Worthington of the police licensing department said: "This operation allows the agencies to focus on a broader range of issues than would normally be possible with just one agency checking.

"We were able to carry out far more in-depth assessments, which will improve standards in the city."

Senior fire safety inspecting officer Paul Bray added: "The operation identified a number of basic fire safety management principles that are being 'overlooked' by some premises.

"At the premises I inspected I saw fire doors wedged open, storage in escape routes and obstructed exits.

"We will follow up the premises visited with a fire safety audit."

Licence-holders will receive a letter outlining any breaches and steps they need to take to comply with the terms of their licence.

Council officers would provide assistance to ensure they complied, a council spokeswoman said.

This is the sixth multi-agency operation co-ordinated by the council's public protection service since November 2006, and the largest so far.

Councillor Peter Brookshaw, Cabinet member for healthy communities, said: "Most of the licensed trade in Plymouth works within the law, but raising awareness of how we enforce the law reassures the public and visitors.

"By being proactive we can help prevent public nuisance, reduce crime and disorder and protect customers of licensed premises."
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Blimey the only time streets are swept by so many folks is just before the Queen makes a visit.

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IDFIMH

No one done for smoking!

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Grandad,