A retailer has put up a �200 reward to anyone who identifies an adult buying alcohol for under-age drinkers.

Bob Harding, who runs the Costcutter store in Dawlish, south Devon, has put a poster up in his shop advertising the reward.

He said many people do not realise that buying alcohol for under-18s is an offence.

Traders can also face fines of up to �1,000 as well as lose their licences if they sell alcohol to under-age drinkers.

ID cards

Mr Harding said: "A lot of people think that there is no harm in it, but there is.

"There is also the risk of a fine and we are trying to ram that point home."

Earlier this month it was revealed that teenagers throughout the UK could soon have a nationally recognised ID card.

It is designed to stop them being sold products such as cigarettes, alcohol and lottery tickets when they are under age.

The new Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) is being launched by retailers and licensees with the full support of government ministers.

Binge drinking

It means that storeowners and shop workers will know that an ID card presented to them bearing the PASS logo has been validated by trading standards officers and contains reliable, accurate information to base a decision on whether to allow a purchase.

A report last year suggested that binge drinking is a significant problem among teenagers.

Up to a quarter of 13 and 14-year-olds claimed to have drunk at least five alcoholic drinks in a single session, with half of all 15 and 16-year-olds claiming the same.

The survey of 14,000 secondary school children across England, Scotland and Wales was carried out by Communities that Care for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.