POLICE are gearing up to check whether hundreds of off-licences are sticking to the law on under-age drinking.

The Durham force will launch a "test purchase" operation at the weekend in which teenagers are sent to try to buy alcohol.

The move is part of the force's StreetSafe campaign to crackdown on anti-social behaviour and rowdiness, much of which is blamed on under-18s hanging about on street corners and causing trouble having illegally bought drink.

Previous operations have led to licence-holders being taken to court and losing their licences to sell alcohol.

The latest operation will be carried out in Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, Durham City and Easington, an area that has 400 off-licences.

Girls and boys aged 14 and 15, who clearly look under 18, will be paid to go into shops and try to buy alcohol.

Businesses that do sell them drink will be sent a warning letter, reminding them of their responsibilities under the law.

Shops that fail the test on two occasions will be visited personally by an officer and advised to make efforts to prevent it happening again.

Any off-licence that fails the test a third time will face an application from the force to local magistrates for their licence to sell alcohol to be revoked.

Two stores in the Derwentside area lost their licences for being caught in breach of the law on three occasions when a similar operation was carried out 18 months ago.

The force says that most licensees and their staff obey the law and ask youngsters they suspect to be under-age to show them some form of identification, refusing to sell alcohol unless it is produced.

But Sergeant Tim Robson, the force's substance misuse officer, said: "We get more complaints from members of the public about under-age drinking than almost any other subject.

"Many of the young drinkers are very persistent and, if refused at the counter, will often try to persuade older people to go in and buy drink on their behalf."

He said: "I understand the difficulties involved for staff but these operations serve to remind licensees of their legal obligations and demonstrate how seriously we take this problem."

The force has written to all the licence-holders, warning them that the operation is about to begin.