AN ONLINE alcohol business was quizzed by councillors about how it will prevent selling booze to minors.

Toby Morrison, director of the Drinks Creators Ltd, wanted to store alcohol to sell on the internet in a 3×3 storage room at the Windsor and Eton Brewery in the Vansittart Estate.

The company ships five to fifteen bottles of gin to its subscribed members monthly via delivery courier DHL.

A licensing sub-committee hearing took place on July 28, Wednesday, after a resident lodged an objection to Mr Morrison’s application.

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Nearby resident Stanley Marek feared this unit will bring an increase in traffic and parking, “endangering” the locals.

But members on the sub-committee quizzed Mr Morrison on how he will ensure he will not sell booze to children or make sure no proxy sales take place.

Councillor John Baldwin (Lib Dem: Belmont) said the protection of children from harm is a statutory duty and is something the council takes “very seriously”.

Slough Observer: Mr Morrison (left) made his licensing plea to councillorsMr Morrison (left) made his licensing plea to councillors

Mr Morrison explained his website uses a system called ‘age checked’, which background checks a customer by their address and/or debit/credit card use to make sure they are over the legal age to buy alcohol.

If the check fails, booze is not sold to them, or Mr Morrison said he contacts the customer and will ask for a form of identification.

On proxy sales, the company’s director said it’s “a lot harder” to spot this compared with a physical store – but if a child opens the door with no adult present, it should raise “immediate red flags” to DHL and should refuse the delivery.

To eradicate Mr Marek’s traffic fears, Mr Morrison said he will be the only one turning up at his storage unit in a hatchback and won’t be there every day.

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He said: “There is no public access, which I know some of Mr Marek’s objections were based on noise and traffic around that, but because it’s online-only, there is literally no one going there apart from myself to work.

“In terms of traffic, there can’t be any created from people who aren’t going to go there. There’s no shop of mine physically there or anything like that.”

He added DHL will only come once a month, with “sporadic” visits once or twice a week, to pick up his monthly shipments.

Inbound deliveries will be only once every six months and some will be sent to Mr Morrison’s home address as he’s not at the brewery all the time, he told councillors.

Members of the sub-licensing committee will make their decision within five working days.