POLICE officers have visited 37 licensed premises in Oxfordshire to test whether staff at bars and clubs could tell the difference between a genuine ID document and a fake one.

Thames Valley Police visited 12 venues in Oxford, eight in Witney, 10 in Banbury and seven in Bicester.

Ben Clarke, licensing team co-ordinator for the force, said: “It is not illegal to accept fake ID, although it is obviously illegal to serve those who are under 18, who are generally the ones who carry it. Retailers or licensed premises who sell to underage people risk a fine of up to £5,000 and losing their licence to sell alcohol.

Thames Valley Police did not respond to the Oxford Mail’s request to be told how many premises in Oxfordshire did not spot fake IDs.

But they did say that of the 95 licensed premises visited across the Thames Valley, only 43 challenged the test purchaser for ID.

Of the 43, the fake ID was thought genuine in 36 cases.