Smith wants ban on youths having alcohol in public

LONDON (Reuters) - Police could be given powers to confiscate alcohol from teenagers under 18 even if there is no indication they plan to drink it, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Wednesday.

She told the BBC she was considering increasing police powers to help crack down on underage drinking in public places.

She was also writing to all police chiefs, reminding them of legal powers they already have to take alcohol from young people and to suggest they use them over the coming half-term period.

"At the moment police have to have suspicion that this alcohol is going to be used," Smith said. "If young people shouldn't be drinking it, I don't think they should be possessing it on the streets either.

"So I want to look at whether or not we should tighten up possession of alcohol for young people in public under the age of 18."

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Smith said she also wanted to see greater use of parenting orders against the families of young people found drinking in public.

The orders, requiring parents to accept help and attend training sessions, have mainly been used to deal with truancy and anti-social behaviour.

In December, the Home Office said police seized more than 3,700 litres of beer, cider, wine and spirits from underage drinkers in a month-long national crackdown.

The campaign followed a declaration by Prime Minister Gordon Brown that binge and underage drinking that disrupt neighbourhoods were unacceptable.

(Reporting by Tim Castle; Editing by Steve Addison)