A NEW call has been made to ban the sale of alcopops following the death of a teenager killed by a train in Southport and a Bolton youth who torched a local secondary school after drinking them.

The Greater Manchester and Lancashire Regional Council on Alcohol has called for the complete ban.

It comes after the death of Graham Bailey, aged 14, who was struck by a train on an unmanned level crossing after drinking Hooch, an alcoholic lemonade.

Magistrates withdrew a licence from an Ormskirk pub landlord following the incident.

As reported in last month's BEN, a judge in Bolton condemned the sale of the sugar-added alcohol drinks as "grossly irresponsible" after a 14-year-old boy set fire to Withins School following a drinking binge.

Judge Peter Lakin's remarks sparked national debate and caused MPs to call for a countrywide ban on the products.

Now the GMLCA say that there is growing evidence that teenagers and children as young as 10 and 11 regard alcopops as drinks for people of their age despite the fact that they can contain as much alcohol as strong lagers.

Chief executive of the GMLCA Elizabeth Smith said:"The concept of alcopops and the way they are marketed is designed to appeal to youngsters.

"This is a cynical move by manufacturers to get young people drinking by making alcohol taste like the soft drinks they are useed to.

"We will be stepping up our campaign for a complete ban on the sale of alcopops."

The campaign will also call for a ban on alcolollies - a recently launched product which has already provoked a storm of protest.

The council are urging local parents to write to alcopops manufacturers stressing their concern.

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