People can help stop underage drinking by calling a new telephone hotline designed to clamp down on illegal alcohol sales.

The new 'Anyone for a Drink?' telephone number is for people with information about where young people get hold of alcohol.

It is set to be piloted in the Cherwell district and, if successful, will be rolled out across Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards department, Cherwell District Council and Thames Valley Police have joined forces for the scheme.

Nigel Strick, head of Oxfordshire trading standards said: "The consumption of alcohol is a factor in many incidents of criminal damage or anti-social behaviour. We need your help to crack down on illegal alcohol sales and reduce the harm caused.

"By acting as our eyes and ears, local communities can now have a say in where we target our efforts to stop under 18s getting alcohol."

Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for community safety, Ray Jelf, said: "By setting up this hotline, we are demonstrating our commitment to trying new ways of stopping alcohol being sold to anyone under 18. However, the success of the campaign depends on members of the public in Cherwell district reporting any information to trading standards.

"Any information received will be acted upon and problem areas identified for further partnership work."

The news comes after the Oxford Mail reported earlier this month how drink-related hospital admissions in England had reached record levels. We revealed that, nationally, 35,400 people were admitted to hospital with alcoholic liver disease in 2004/05 compared to 14,400 in 1995/96.

The Information Centre for Health and Social Care report also showed that almost a third of young men and a quarter of young women were drinking double the recommended amount in a day.

Nationally, 11 to 15-year-olds are now drinking twice as much as children of a similar age 10 years ago and it is estimated that half of all 11- to 15-year-olds get drunk at least once a month. Earlier this year, we also reported how £10,000 from criminal activity was being used to clampdown on licensees who sell booze to teenagers.

The drive was part of Operation Hangover, a six month police operation to clampdown on binge drinking and alcohol-related violence.

Anyone with information can call the hotline on 01865 815500, or visit the trading standards website at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/tra dingstandards or Cherwell District Council's site, www.cherwell-dc.gov.uk.