Cheltenham’s licensed venues launch unified ID retention policy

Cheltenham’s licensed venues, local police, and door supervisors have come together to introduce a unified ID retention policy across all Cheltenham Safe venues, reinforcing a shared commitment to safety in the town’s night-time economy.

The policy was launched at the Night Safe meeting on 24 February and reflects a coordinated approach between licensing officers, police, venue operators, and local door staff.

By adopting the same protocol across venues, partners aim to ensure consistent responses to incidents and strengthen partnership working throughout Cheltenham.

Under the policy, any false identification that is optionally surrendered to a participating premises will be retained for 28 days and all fake IDs will be destroyed immediately upon surrender.

The ID may be returned during this period if the individual can provide suitable proof of identity. After 28 days, any uncollected ID will be destroyed or returned to the issuing authority. Premises are not liable for any costs incurred.

All venues that are members of Cheltenham Safe are operating the same policy. This means that across Cheltenham Safe venues, false IDs will be retained for 28 days while fake IDs will be destroyed, ensuring a consistent approach across the town.

The initiative mirrors similar approaches used across Gloucestershire and further strengthens the partnership between licensing officers, police, and venue staff. By aligning procedures, partners can ensure incidents are handled with the same stance wherever they occur.

Michelle Bignell, licensing and public protection manager at Cheltenham Borough Council, added: “This ID retention policy supports door teams in making confident decisions and ensures that all participating venues are following the same procedure when dealing with surrendered identification.

“Clear and consistent processes around ID help protect both businesses and visitors, while sending a strong message that fake identification will not be tolerated in our town.”

Inspector Steve Benbow from the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Through this initiative, we’re looking to protect young people against and educate them about the dangers of underage drinking.

“We will be working alongside businesses, patrons and door staff as part of this approach to ensure everyone can have a safe and enjoyable experience within Cheltenham’s night-time economy.”

Cheltenham partners have also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting local door staff, who play a vital role in keeping venues safe and are essential to the town’s vibrant night-time economy.

Together, Cheltenham Safe venues and their partners are continuing to work collaboratively to create a safer and more welcoming night-time environment for everyone.

Notes to editors:

Venues that wish to take part can request a poster outlining the policy from the communications or licensing team for display on their premises.

For press enquiries contact: communications team, email [email protected] or telephone 01242 264231.