Reports about cop and underage drinkers in bar wrong, say police

Police say media reports that an off-duty Auckland police officer is being investigated after allegedly using his official ID to allow teenage drinkers into a North Shore bar differ "greatly" from the version of events given by other patrons and police who were called out to the bar.

Police were called to The Grange in Takapuna on Saturday to check party-goers' IDs after a complaint from staff.

Bar owner Blair Fergus told The New Zealand Herald that a police officer, thought to be a constable, "started flashing his badge around" when he realised many young women were getting stopped at the door to his girlfriend's 21st birthday party.

"But a lot of them didn't have any ID so that's why he (the bouncer) wasn't letting them in... And then it just got out of hand and he (the officer) was out there flashing his badge, saying to the bouncer, 'Let them in, I'm an off-duty cop'," he said.

The bouncer "got pissed off with that" and called police, he said.

Auckland City police and Waitemata police initiated an inquiry late yesterday after being contacted by the New Zealand Herald, Auckland City police communications manager Noreen Hegarty said today.

The inquiry was ongoing.

The Grange had a restaurant licence and was a supervised area which could have minors present until midnight on a Saturday night, as long as they were accompanied by parents or legal guardians, Ms Hegarty said.

About 60 guests, aged between 12 and mid-70s, were booked to attend the function and the parents of all minors were present.

Management were entitled to have their own house rules which could differ to the provisions of the restaurant licence as long as they didn't breach the licence, she said.

Waitemata police went to the bar about 11pm after a bouncer flagged down a passing patrol and complained about the actions of an off-duty officer, Ms Hegarty said.

The officer had not been drinking and was co-operative when spoken to by police, and no illegal minors or intoxicated people were found on the premises.

North Shore area commander Les Paterson previously told the New Zealand Herald that if the accusation proved true it could be the subject of an internal investigation under the police code of conduct.

- NZPA