NEWTOWN licensees and their staff have received free training as part of an initiative to tackle underage drinking in the town.

The training session took place at Newtown Fire Station and was arranged by the Newtown Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP), an initiative backed by the Welsh Government.

The free training session provided those working within the licensed trade with the tools and knowledge to address and challenge minors attempting to buy alcohol and over 18s trying to buy alcohol on their behalf.

Newtown CAP is a partnership between several organisations including Powys County Council, Dyfed Powys Police, Powys Teaching Health Board, Public Health Wales, retailers, NPTC Group’s Newtown Campus, local schools and youth groups. It is backed by Community Alcohol Partnerships Ltd.

The initiative will educate the public on the impact underage drinking has on communities and will reduce young people’s access to alcohol by building on the existing work already carried out by the council’s Trading Standards and Licensing Services teams alongside local police.

 Agencies and partners will join licensed premises to work together to reduce teen drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

Clive Jones, Powys County Council’s professional lead for trading standards, said: “The aim of the Newtown Community Alcohol Partnership is to make Newtown a safer and healthier place to live and work.

“It is in all  our interests to promote a healthy attitude to the use of alcohol.”

Rod Bowen, licensing officer at Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “I was really pleased how this training package was received by those who attended. Dyfed-Powys Police fully supports Newtown CAP, which is a clear example of partnership policing working at its best.”

All the delegates said they would recommend the training to a colleague.