POLICE strategies to combat underage drinking in Cardiff could backfire as fears emerge children will now turn to adults to supply their alcohol.

Roath police announced they had issued seven anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) in the last month to combat the problem but shop staff at Bargain Booze Plus say children are attempting to aquire their alcohol from a different source.

Employee Somas Kandiah, 60, said: “Our biggest problem is that now the kids know we won’t sell them anything if they are underage, they ask adults to buy it for them. We put up clear signs around the shop that say we will not serve anyone we suspect of giving alcohol to kids but it doesn’t stop them.”

Manager Arjuna Gunesekera, 23, said children continue to turn to adults for their alcohol despite the introduction of high-tech security cameras. He said: “We can clearly see on our cameras when people are asked to buy alcohol by kids and so we refuse to serve them. It happens at least once a day and three or four times on the weekend.

“The police do all they can to help, but they have a lot to do, and so our solution is to report the matter to head office and then directly prosecute the people responsible.”

Speaking on behalf of Roath police, Sergeant Bob Wiltshire said: “We have responded to concerns in the community about underage drinking by issuing seven ASBOs recently to people found doing so in Splott Road.

“We are also trying to have Splott Road designated as a public place in order to stop anyone drinking in public. If we are successful it means drinking in Splott Road will be an arrestable offence.”

Mr Gunesekera said his shop’s security measures prevented antisocial behaviour. “We have HD CCTV cameras that are better than most in the main city,” he said. “Our recordings are held for 31 days and they cover quite a bit of Splott Road, so if there is any trouble the police can come and take our footage.”

Employee Mr Kandiah said: “People said that we would increase problems in the area when we opened, but they did not realise that we are like any other convenience shop. They are put off by our title but we are actually Bargain Booze Plus, which means we sell anything you would find in a corner shop.”

But local residents stand by their opinion that the controversial opening of Bargain Booze Plus in Splott has fuelled the problem of underage drinking. Norma Paxton of Habershon Street said: “They should never have opened that shop. It encourages people to drink and you see gangs of kids walking around with drink.

“I have never drunk alcohol in my life and I don’t believe in it at the best of times.”