Government to fine parents of drinkers

Parents who allow their children to drink alcohol in public may be fined £1,000 or forced to do community work under plans to be announced by the Home Secretary on Wednesday.

Jacqui Smith is expected to unveil proposals for new "parenting contracts" that could be served on those whose under-age children are caught drinking.

The contracts would ban parents from allowing their children to visit certain areas or places at stipulated times and would hold them responsible for stopping their children consuming alcohol.

If the contracts are breached, parents could find themselves before the courts.

Miss Smith will also set out plans to give the police new powers to confiscate alcohol from minors and she will call on the drinks industry to do more to stop the selling of alcohol to teenagers.

This summer, the Government will launch an advertising campaign to warn children of the dangers of drinking following an alarming rise in the number of teenagers being admitted to hospital with alcohol-related problems.

Britain has some of the highest rates of teenage drinking in the western world.

The clampdown is part of a wider Government review of alcohol laws.

Gordon Brown is currently reviewing the controversial 24-hour licensing law and is expected to introduce new safeguards in the spring.

Parenting contracts have been used by Labour to tackle truancy and anti-social behaviour.