Under-21 alcohol ban hailed

A BAN on alcohol sales to under-21s in a Lothian town has been hailed a success after a sharp drop in reports of youth disorder.

The six-week project in Armadale, West Lothian, and the nearby villages of Blackridge and Westfield saw all 11 off-licences ban alcohol sales to people under 21 at weekends.

Police said the scheme had cut down the number of calls about antisocial behaviour in the area on Friday and Saturday nights.

And they are now to enter discussions with off-licences and local communities about rolling out the idea to other towns.

Shopkeepers admitted there had been some initial problems with customers becoming angry.