My sister was spending £1,000 a month on drink from delivery apps

Campaigners who want restrictions on the sale of alcohol through food delivery apps are working with the charity behind Dry January.

Alex Hughes, 31, started a petition calling for a ban following the death of her sister Zoe, who is thought to have suffered fatal injuries in a fall down stairs at home in Lincoln while under the influence of alcohol.

According to Alex, 35-year-old Zoe was spending between £1,000 and £1,500 a month on alcohol through Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats.

The companies say they operate within the law, are committed to responsible delivery and customer accounts can be suspended or blocked if concerns are raised.

However, Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January, is calling on the government to introduce more checks on people buying alcohol via delivery apps.

The government says it is looking at how licensing rules apply to rapid alcohol delivery services.

Alex says Zoe was "full of life" and "lived and breathed for her children".

"It came as a bit of a shock to the family when we found out she had a drinking problem," she explains.

"At first she was living with my parents who are in a rural part of Lincolnshire, so she had to walk to the shops to get a drink.

"But when she moved into her own place in a more urban area it spiralled."

Alex says Zoe was drinking between five and seven bottles of wine, gin or vodka a day before her death in 2023.

She argues delivery apps made it easier for her to access alcohol.

"All she had to do was go on her phone, click a few buttons and it would be delivered in as quick as 20 minutes."

An inquest ruled Zoe's death was accidental, with the coroner concluding that "on the balance of probabilities", she died as "a consequence of injuries arising from an unwitnessed fall whilst under the influence of alcohol".

Alex wants the sale of alcohol on apps to be banned or for the government to introduce safeguards to help vulnerable people.

"There needs to be a cap so you can only order so much in a 24-hour period and also a time stop.

"Zoe could order sometimes at six in the morning."

She would also like to see a register similar to those used by gambling companies, where people who add their names are blocked from using apps.

The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol and it is already an offence to sell alcohol to someone who is drunk.

Delivery firms say they carry out age checks and drivers are instructed not to leave alcohol with people who appear to be drunk.

However, Joe Marley, the director of Alcohol Change UK, is calling on politicians to take another look at the regulations.

"We have the licensing act. It was created quite a long time ago and it hasn't kept up with the reality on the ground," he says.