A NEW scheme has been launched to stamp out underage drinking in York.

City of York Council's Responsible Retailer project aims to work with shopkeepers and the public to tackle the problem of drinking by under-18s.

Last week, the Advisory Council On The Misuse of Drugs revealed that 15-year-olds in Britain are among Europe's heaviest drinkers.

To qualify for full membership of the Responsible Retailer scheme, traders are expected to demonstrate that they have taken a number of steps, including providing training for their staff on how to avoid inadvertently selling alcohol to young people.

The scheme acts as a form of endorsement for those retailers who do get involved. Officers from the council's trading standards team will shortly be visiting retailers in the city who sell alcohol to offer them a free pack containing useful information and an application form.

Those who submit their application and qualify for membership will receive a certificate at a formal ceremony.

They will then be able to display these on their premises to show that they have a responsible approach to the problem of underage drinking.

The scheme is the latest move in the fight to stop young people drinking illegally. Last year, The Press reported how council staff stepped up their fight against alcohol sales by carrying out a series of visits to licensed premises throughout the city.

A number of pubs were caught during the visits, which began once the council gained new powers under the revised licensing act.

Fifteen-year-old volunteers were asked to go into pubs and see if they could buy alcohol.

If they were served, trading standards chiefs stepped in and took enforcement action.

Steve Chamberlain, the council's senior enforcement officer, said: "The Responsible Retailer scheme is about working with retailers to tackle the problem of underage drinking by making sure that they are in a position to take every possible step to prevent their staff from selling alcohol to someone who is underage.

"It also gives members of the public confidence in the retailers who are part of the scheme because it demonstrates that they are adopting a responsible attitude to the problem and taking steps to prevent it."