Children of 12 'street drinking'

Jim Rodgers was speaking as the council encouraged off-licences to sign up to a code of practice aimed at tackling underage drinking.

The code calls on staff at off-licences to question people buying unusually large quantities of alcohol.

"It's a major problem across the city and anti-social behaviour is a key priority for the council," he said.

"We only have to look at our street corners every night of the week and children as young as 12 are now drinking on a regular basis."

The council and Belfast District Policing Partnership have drawn up the voluntary code and hope off-sales will embrace the campaign.

The code is being officially launched on Friday at Falls Leisure Centre in the west of the city.

As well as reinforcing the message that it is illegal to sell alcohol to under-18s, the voluntary code calls for off-licence staff to question customers who are buying an unusually large quantity of drink or who are buying alcohol more than once in the day.

Off-licences who sign up to the code will also be offered training for their staff.

The initiative is part of the 'Get Home Safe' project which is led by the council in partnership with Belfast District Policing Partnership and the PSNI.

Belfast DPP chairman, Councillor Michael Browne said parents had to help tackle the scourge.

"It is also incumbent upon parents to do their utmost to ensure that their children are not obtaining alcohol while underage," he said.

He added that the penalty for purchasing alcohol for minors carries a penalty of up to a £5,000 fine and/or six months in prison.