Publicans fear ‘utter chaos’ of new ID rules

The Challenge 25 scheme, which came into force on Saturday, requires younger drinkers to carry photographic identification and is part of the SNP government’s drive against anti-social drinking. However, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association fears it will cause confrontations in busy pubs and is a further stress for an industry under pressure. Paul Waterson, chief executive of the association, said: “This just feels like another attack on pubs. It’s going to cause utter chaos and offence. “We are being asked to refuse to serve customers potentially well over the legal age set down in law to drink. “It’s madness, and we fear we’re going to bear the brunt of the backlash. We feel 21 is a far better age at which staff should ask for ID.” Previously bars operated a voluntary system of asking anyone who looked under 21 for ID. Now it will become illegal to serve alcohol to anyone who may be under 25 – unless they can produce photographic ID which proves their age. Mr Waterson said many people were unaware that the law, which came into force over the weekend. He said licensees were afraid trouble could start if they were forced to challenge large groups of drinkers – particularly if only one or two appeared to be under 25. He added that the industry as a whole was already under pressure because of the smoking ban and the recession. Mr Waterson said industry estimates show that three pubs are closing in Scotland every week while many more are opening for weekends only. “It is the most difficult time we have ever had in the licensing trade in Scotland and the last thing we need is something like this.” Police and trading standards officers have been ordered to carry out random spot checks to make sure the law is being obeyed. Any landlord who fails to ask for proof of ID could be stripped of their licence. Les Gray, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, advised publicans to take a good-humoured approach and joke with customers that they were lucky to look under 25. He commented: “Bar staff are going to have to ID a lot more people than they have ever before. “But hopefully their customers will just get used to going out with their driving licences.” Paul Hinnrichs, manager of the Villager pub in Edinburgh, said he believed people would get used to the new system. “If people are under 25 I don’t see a problem for them getting into the habit of carrying ID like a driving licence or a passport. It is more like the US system, and I think people will get used to it. After all people have got used to not smoking in pubs.”