Alcohol is selling in the North-East for as little as a 15p unit. The damage is costing the region more than £1bn a year – that’s £887 per taxpayer

FAMILY doctors throughout the North-East today called on the Prime Minister to clamp down on supermarkets and off-licences selling alcohol for as little as 15p per unit.

Click here for a map showing how accessible cheap alcohol is thoughout the region

Despite Government efforts to encourage retailers to be more responsible, a survey carried out by The Northern Echo found bargain basement booze on sale throughout the region.

Ministers are considering introducing a minimum price of 40p per unit, but the region’s medical experts want the Government to go further.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister published in today’s Northern Echo, they urge David Cameron to get tough on the drinking crisis by setting a 50p minimum.

Experts say that the real price of cheap drink is reflected in the cost to the country of health care and drinkrelated crime.

In the North-East alone, the bill comes to more than £1bn – equivalent to £887 for every taxpayer.

The doctors’ campaign is led by Balance, the North- East alcohol control agency.

Reporters in Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Durham City and Northallerton visited supermarkets and offlicences across the region and found that strong alcoholic drinks could be bought for just a few pounds.

The lowest price our reporters found was a £2.29 two litre bottle of strong white cider containing 15 units of alcohol – the equivalent of seven cans of normal strength alcohol.

A public consultation into minimum alcohol pricing is expected to be announced shortly.