POLICE today got new powers to confiscate booze from under-18s who are caught in public possession of alcohol and arrest adults who buy drink for them.

The move is part of a major crackdown on under-age drinkers and controversial alcopop soft drinks unveiled by Ministers this morning in the wake of a judge blaming the designer drinks for the £750,000 torching of Bolton's Withins School by a drunken 14-year-old..

A new photo-identity card providing proof of age, paid for by the drinks industry, will be introduced, becoming mandatory for young people wherever and whenever they buy drink.

Trading standards officers and police will use under-age decoy "alcocops" to trap unscrupulous retailers selling the drinks illegally.

Although a special Ministerial Group on Alcopops stopped short of banning the 50-plus new designer drinks or increasing the duty on them, Home Secretary Jack Straw said these options remained open if the new crackdown fails. He said:"The BEN has performed a huge public service in its campaign on this issue. It highlighted the problem and its actions have contributed to these proposals for tackling the problem announced today. "The industry has to put its house in order. If they don't further action will result."

A new code of practice for the drinks industry aimed at squeezing alcopops out of the market is being introduced at the same time.

The new power for police to seize illegally-held booze from under-18s comes into force on August 1, as it becomes an offence for adults to buy alcohol for supply to unsupervised under-18s.

The tough new code will aim at persuading corner shops and off-licences not to stock the alcopops.

Those that sell them to under 18s may face losing their licences to sell drink.

New drinks will be pre-vetted by the industry's Portman Group to encourage responsible drinking and existing ones breaching new guidelines will be withdrawn.

There will be curbs on the packaging and marketing of alcopops to ensure they do not appeal to under-18s, banning references linking them with illegal drugs or sexual prowess, or feature artificially bright colours or child-like lettering.

It will ensure that the colour, taste and texture of a drink doesn't appeal to teenagers.

An Independent Panel will consider complaints about such drinks and if they are upheld will issue a "retailer alert" giving shops just weeks to clear the offending product from their shelves if upheld.

Failure to comply could result in magistrates withdrawing the retailer's licence.

Portman Group director Jean Coussins said: "Manufacturers and retailers who ignore the code will pay a high price, socially and commercially. The new enforcement measures are designed to ensure that offendin products are squeezed out of the market."

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