CHILD spies armed with hidden cameras are to carry out a series of undercover stings on rogue licensees who sell booze to youngsters.

Police and officers from Bolton's Trading Standards department will carry out undercover surveillance operations at off-licences, supermarkets and takeaway restaurants in the town.

The stings are part of a police drive to crack down on alcohol-fuelled violence by youths.

Horwich and Westhoughton will be among the first areas to be targeted

The move was announced today as Tony Blair was unveiling new measures to get tough on anti-social behaviour and young offenders.

Insp Simon Miskell, of Greater Manchester Police in Horwich, said: "There are groups of young people in the area drinking and causing anti-social behaviour and we want to know where they are getting the alcohol from.

"We also have the problem of older youths, or even parents, buying drink for under-age children and as far as I am concerned that is the most irresponsible thing you can do.

"If we catch anyone over the age of 18 buying alcohol for their friends or family, we will prosecute them. An we will also take action against the licensee responsible for selling the alcohol."

Fixed penalty fines will be handed out for alcohol-related disorder, and young people who continue to bring misery to the community will be made the subject of an anti social behaviour order.

The police in Horwich and Westhoughton have joined forces with Bolton Council's licensing department in response to complaints by members of the public.

Residents in the two towns claims their lives are being blighted by young people who are consuming alcohol on the streets and committing anti social behaviour.

Uniformed officers, Police Community Support Officers and the local authority's licensing officers will be filming inside a council-owned van.

They will be targeting different licensed premises at weekends and on evenings during the week.

The police have put together a list of the worst offenders who have been caught breaking the law during previous operations.

And for the first time they will be targeting takeaways too, because, under the new licensing laws which came into force in November, they can serve alcohol if the owner holds the appropriate licence.

Insp Miskell said: "The number of places where you can buy alcohol has increased and so have the hours when you can buy it.

"If you are a resident living next door to a takeaway and there are young people drinking, swearing, shouting and dropping litter, then for the first time, we can really do something about it.

"We can seek to revoke the licence and we can take action against those who are committing anti social behaviour.

"Residents should not to put up with it."

The operation, which starts next week, will run until March.