Youngsters could soon be drinking their last tipple in public.

Castle Point MP Bob Spink has presented a new Bill to Parliament aiming to increase police powers to confiscate unopened bottles of booze.

At the moment officers can only take open bottles or cans from youths drinking in public.

Mr Spink told the Commons he had originally introduced a Private Member's Bill giving police the right to confiscate alcohol in 1997.

However, the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 removed police power to take away sealed bottles.

Mr Spink told the House: "The Bill's aim is simply to restore to the police the power to remove all alcohol from young people in public places so they do not consume it, get into trouble and cause mayhem in our communities."

Published Friday, January 17, 2003

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