Underage drinkers still causing problems

LARGE groups of underage drinkers are still congregating in parts of St Albans according to the local MP. Anne Main, MP for St Albans, made her comments after challenging a Home Office Minister on Tuesday about the problem of underage children gaining acc

LARGE groups of underage drinkers are still congregating in parts of St Albans according to the local MP.

Anne Main, MP for St Albans, made her comments after challenging a Home Office Minister on Tuesday about the problem of underage children gaining access to alcohol from unscrupulous shops and off-licences.

During the Parliamentary Questions session she said her constituency was experiencing "significant problems" with young people drinking alcohol in public places, often hidden in drinks such as orange juice.

She added: "They obtain their alcohol from small shops and off-licences."

Mrs Main called for much tougher penalties for those who dispensed alcohol to young people and maintained that the "pile it high, sell it cheap" method of selling alcohol rather than the existence of licensed premises was the root of the problem.

Afterwards she said she was aware that there was still a, "very serious problem" in St Albans and anyone who passed through the Abbey Orchard or other parks on a Friday or Saturday night would be aware of large groups of underage drinkers who congregated there and the mess their discarded drinks containers could cause the following day.

She added: "I think the Government needs to assess the reality that many licensed premises are still selling alcohol illegally to under-18s. We need a zero-tolerance approach to this and the anti-social behaviour that occurs as a result.