Pubs fall short with alcohol measures

Oct 14 2010 by Leona Greenan, Hamilton Advertiser

TWO North Lanarkshire licencees have been reported to the procurator fiscal after allegedly failing to sell correct spirit measures.

Three other pubs have also received written warnings. The five establishments failed recent test purchases by Trading Standards officers, who covertly visited 28 premises in the area.

Their objective was to check the accuracy of spirit measures sold in licensed premises.

Officers test-purchased 52 spirits and discovered that no fewer than 29 of them - 55 per cent. - were short of the declared 25 or 35 millilitres.

The worst examples saw a measure short by 13 per cent. At the other extreme, one spirit measure was 28 per cent over.

Officers also checked the authenticity of spirits on sale. The whiskies, vodkas, gins and rums sampled were all found to be correct.

David Roderick, Trading Standards manager for North Lanarkshire, said: “It is disappointing that a significant proportion of spirit measures delivered to customers are still incorrect.”

The project will be repeated within a matter of weeks.