New police tactics to hit underage drinkers with £80 fines in Carterton could be used in other parts of the county.

Pc Lovegrove with a poster Carterton is the first town in Oxfordshire to use on-the-spot fixed penalty notices to tackle illegal drinking.

Adults who sell alcohol to under-18s or buy it on their behalf could also be fined under new police powers.

The crackdown, which starts in the west Oxfordshire town on April 8, is being launched by Pc Rod Lovegrove.

He said: "We are not looking for a quick fix. We want to get the message across that Carterton is not a litter bin or huge toilet and we are not prepared to put up with rowdy, noisy lager louts.

"Fixed penalty notices provide us with a useful alternative disposal, freeing up officers' time and contributing significantly to tackling inappropriate behaviour."

The district council, neighbourhood actions groups and shops which sell alcohol have also backed the campaign.

Anyone who cannot pay the fine will be sent a court summons.

Money raised from fixed penalty notices will go to the Government.

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