Age restriction on Sunday Times

[Flyer]

You're not going to believe this. Sent Mike (who's 11) on Sunday to get the Sunday Times from the "local" Co-op. It's not really local, but the village store is a bit of a pain to get to, so he went to the Co-op instead.

They refused to sell it to him as you have to be 18 to buy it!! All because of the month DVD apparently! Utter madness. I've just sent this email to the Co-op and copied it to the Sunday Times:

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Dear Ms Wright

On Sunday, I asked my 11 year old son to go to a United Co-op shop to purchase the Sunday Times. The shop is a 20-minute walk away. He returned 40 minutes later to say that he was told by the shop assistants that the Sunday Times had an "18 or 21" age restriction on it and so he couldn't purchase it.

When he told me this, I was stunned. I drove to the shop to enquire why they had refused to sell the paper to him. There were two assistants behind the counter and they both said that the Sunday Times had an 18 age restriction on it and they were not allowed to sell it to anyone under that age. They further explained that it was because of "the month" DVD. This I found bewildering, but when I explained that it is only issued once a month, and that this week's issue didn’t come with the DVD anyway, they said that when they scan the paper in, the display states the age restriction.

Unable to quite believe what I was hearing, I asked for the manager. She came and explained exactly the same thing as the two assistants had; the age restriction was because of the DVD, they had no say over the matter, and that "Head Office" had issued the restriction.

Quite a preposterous situation, I'm sure you will agree. Are paper boys not allowed to deliver the Sunday Times now? Do other shops have a similar policy? I have been away and missed the last issue with the DVD; was "Debbie Does Dallas" on the DVD?

Could you please explain the precise reasons why you have restricted the sale of the Sunday Times and what other newspapers you restrict the sale of.

I am sending a copy of this email to the Sunday Times for their opinion on this matter. I would appreciate an early reply to this email.

Yours sincerely

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Anyone with an explanation for this? Totally puzzled by it

 

[pammy]

that is ludicrous - like an 11 year old is going to buy the Sunday Times for access to dodgy material.

 

[Alfie]

that is ludicrous - like an 11 year old is going to buy the Sunday Times for access to dodgy material.

Totally agree.

Its yet another example of this nanny government eroding the rights of parents and individuals.

I was informed the other day that I am not allowed to give a lift home to any of my son's friends unless their is another adult in the car. Apparently this affects all extra curricular clubs such as Cubs/scouts etc. However, my wife is allowed to take my sons friends home because she is female! Where will this ridiculous behaviour by our government stop.? Will it stop? Pretty soon men wont be allowed to live in the same house their own children!

I wish that we had a different voting system such that proportional representation meant that this bunch of politcally correct/trendy lefty/ touchy feely morons had lost and that majority of the population that voted against them had won the day. Lets just hope they are ousted at the next election.

 

[Swiss Toni]

Totally agree.

Its yet another example of this nanny government eroding the rights of parents and individuals.

I was informed the other day that I am not allowed to give a lift home to any of my son's friends unless their is another adult in the car. Apparently this affects all extra curricular clubs such as Cubs/scouts etc. However, my wife is allowed to take my sons friends home because she is female! Where will this ridiculous behaviour by our government stop.? Will it stop? Pretty soon men wont be allowed to live in the same house their own children!

I wish that we had a different voting system such that proportional representation meant that this bunch of politcally correct/trendy lefty/ touchy feely morons had lost and that majority of the population that voted against them had won the day. Lets just hope they are ousted at the next election.

Don't think this has anything to do with the Govt....

 

[Alfie]

Don't think this has anything to do with the Govt....

I'll bet it has!

 

[Flyer]

Well, well, well .... just had this reply from the Sunday Times:

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Thank you for your email.

As we sometimes include age classified content such as Dvd's or Cd Rom's, retailers have to adhere to the government age policy when selling the newspaper.

However, as the newspaper did not contain anything of this kind on Sunday I can see no reason why the newsagent should refuse purchase although this is subject to their own discretion.

I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Kind Regards

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Looks like you were right Alfie! Still find it astounding and so very, very wrong.

EXTRA, EXTRA, Read all about it ... Children are banned from buying newspapers ...