The threat was made by Norwich City Council which has written to all the 104 hairdressing salons in Norwich ordering them to get a license if they want to serve alcoholic drinks, adding that they will send officers into salons under cover in an effort to catch offenders (equivalent of our excise inspectors).
The council also declares that anyone found guilty of unlawfully supplying alcohol could face a maximum of six months in jail, a maximum fine of £20,000 or both, according to a report in the London Telegraph. The letter states that the practice of serving complimentary alcoholic drinks is a breach of the law and requires various licenses.
The vast majority of salons serve tea and coffee throughout the year and in the couple of weeks before Christmas offer a glass of wine, mulled wine or sherry to their customers. The businesses are naturally upset with the letter just before the beginning of the festive Christmas season, especially when they are passing through the recession.
A council spokesman said that under the 2003 Licensing Act "sale by retail" includes providing alcohol to customers as part of the service, adding, 'we are a licensing authority and there is a serious message here about the enforcement of licensing laws and helping businesses make sure they do not fall foul of the law.'
Norwich is a small city in Eastern England with a predominantly white population. |