Over 20,000 litres of alcohol seized from kids

LONDON (Reuters) - Police have confiscated more than 20,000 litres of alcohol from children during a crackdown on underage drinking, the Home Office said on Wednesday.

The initiative was a response to growing concerns about a perceived binge drinking culture in Britain, particularly among youths.

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said confiscating alcohol was part of a strategy to address "the damage and disruption that underage drinking causes to youngsters, their families and the communities they live in".

Police officers acted on tip-offs from the public and on local police intelligence to target groups in underage drinking hotspots.

Of the 5,143 youngsters who surrendered beer, cider, wine, spirits and alcopops during the February half-term raids, 25 percent said they were aged 15 or under.

Some 15 percent of the total had bought the alcohol from shops, while 30 percent refused to say where they obtained it.

The campaign, which cost 760,000 pounds, was welcomed by the drinks industry.

Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: "The level of alcohol seized suggests this should not just be a one-off confiscation exercise.

"It should be standard procedure for police forces across the country all the time."