Brown launches undercover police Christmas blitz on underage drinking

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Officers posing as Christmas party revellers will target 1,500 premises in 90 areas and any retailer caught selling alcohol to under-18s faces heavy fines or loss of their licence.

Anyone selling alcohol to customers who are already drunk could also face prosecution.

The Prime Minister spoke after an alcohol summit at No 10 yesterday.

Afterwards Mr Brown declared his backing for the Responsible Sales for Alcohol campaign which will target premises linked with drink-fuelled violence, crime and disorder.

The campaign will cost £250,000 and involve 30 police forces.

From November 29 until December 23 , plain clothed officers will visit "problem premises" to check whether they are complying with the law.

Ministers have been coming under growing pressure to tackle underage and binge-drinking.

Last week research for Ofsted suggested that a fifth of 10 to 15-yearolds regularly get drunk.

The 2003 Licensing Act carries stiff fines for selling to under-18s, and bans the sale of alcohol to those already drunk.

New "alcohol disorder zone" powers are to be introduced in January which will allow councils to charge poorly-managed pubs and clubs for the extra costs of managing alcoholrelated disorder.

Mr Brown has ordered a review of the Licensing Act, including the controversial 24-hour drinking laws, which will report in the New Year.

Downing Street said last night that it wanted to ensure that 24-hour licences remained "the exception rather than the rule".

Mr Brown and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith met alcohol retailers and manufacturers, police, council chiefs, doctors and academics at No 10 yesterday to discuss under-age drinking and binge-drinking.

Mr Brown said: "It is clear the solution lies beyond a stream of individual measures.

"It's about creating a cultural shift, having local coordination, better education and enforcement and individuals taking personal responsibility."

The summit discussed using education to help change the culture of binge-drinking, including issuing advice and guidance to parents.