A losing battle

This was the predicament faced by a 19-year-old soldier at a Tesco store in Leeds when he and his grandmother were refused the right to buy two Bacardi Breezers, even though he was able to produce Army identification.

The soldier, who is expecting to go on his first tour of duty – in all likelihood to Afghanistan – in three months' time, fell foul of the store's policy of challenging anyone buying alcohol who looks under the age of 25 or older people trying to buy alchohol for youngsters.

This attempt by the store to curb under-age drinking is very laudable – but it must be enforced with a degree of common sense, a commodity that appears to be in short supply.

And, if an Army ID card is not acceptable to Tesco's powers-that-be, then what is?