PM blitz on under age booze sellers

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The Prime Minister said that a new "two strikes and you're out" rule would form part of the Government's Review of the Licensing Act to be published this week.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said that other measures would include action to deal with the sale of alcohol by supermarkets and an advertising campaign to encourage responsible drinking.

However, he also made clear that the Government would not be reversing the relaxation of pub opening hours introduced under Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister.

Instead, Mr Brown emphasised the need to deal with off-licences which sold alcohol to under 18s as one of the keys to tackling the problems of binge drinking.

"If someone is selling to under-18s they are allowing these problems of binge drinking to grow - and they are giving young people the worst possible start in life," he said.

Under current rules, shops have to be caught selling alcohol three times in three months before facing the possibility of losing their licence. However, Mr Brown said that the penalties needed tightening.

While one sale to an under-18 may be an innocent mistake by a shopkeeper, the law should no longer accept a second offence, he said.

The new restrictions would be accompanied by an increase in the number of youngsters used to make "test purchases" in off-licences to see if they do sell to the under-18s.

The new measures will be accompanied by a hard-hitting advertising campaign warning young people - especially teenage girls - they will be ruining their looks as well as their health if they binge drink.