A LEADING York councillor today called for a major crackdown on retailers who sell alcohol to under-18s.

Councillor Andrew Waller, City of York Council's executive member for environment and sustainability, said trading standards officers should have the option to prosecute shopkeepers on a first time offence, to act as a "real deterrent".

Shocking figures, which will go before today's environment and sustainability advisory panel, show that out of 24 shops tested for under-age sales, one third sold alcohol to under-18s.

Test purchasers as young as 15 were used by trading standards to buy alcohol.

Coun Waller, who has called for the changes as part of the York Safe City Campaign, said under-age drinking was the root cause of much antisocial behaviour on the city's streets.

"I'm horrified that in one third of cases, test purchases made by the council proved that under 18-year-olds were being sold alcohol.

"As a ward member I am frequently asked what is being done to stop the sale of alcohol to underage youths, and right across the city there are instances of anti-social behaviour attributed to under-aged drinking.

"Therefore I will be pushing for a tightening up of procedures, and where the law has been wilfully disregarded by a shop then council officers should have the option to prosecute on a first time offence. This will act as a real deterrent."

Colin Rumford, the city council's head of trading standards, said first time offenders were currently offered a formal caution.

"Clearly the message in York is not getting through to those breaking the law," he said.

Coun Waller said he was pleased that in further test purchases relating to fireworks and tobacco no retailers were found to be selling to under-age youths.

Meanwhile, Chief Superinten-dent John Lacy, area commander for York and Selby, has pledged to get tough on drink drivers after figures revealed the number of offenders had risen dramatically.

A third more drivers have been caught over the limit in the past two months, with 95 arrests in the York and Selby area alone since November 11.

Updated: 11:45 Wednesday, December 10, 2003