The government has abandoned efforts to prevent under-age drinking, the shadow home secretary has claimed.

Oliver Letwin said official statistics indicated that attempts to stop under-18s purchasing alcohol had "collapsed".

Publishing an analysis of the government's criminal statistics, he warned that the issue was a major concern because it could lead to higher levels of youth crime.

The analysis showed that convictions and cautions under Section 169 of the 1964 Licensing Act have fallen over recent years.

Just 61 children under 18 were cautioned or convicted for buying alcohol in 2001, down from 101 in 2000 and 276 in 1997, said the shadow home secretary.

And convictions and cautions for selling alcohol to children fell to 101 - down from 109 in 2000 and 296 in 1997.

"The fact that the government has virtually given up enforcing the law on underage drinking is a serious cause for concern, because alcohol lies behind so much youth crime," said Letwin.

"Sadly, this is what we have come to expect of the Home Office. David Blunkett announces initiative after initiative, and is pushing through yet new anti-social behaviour legislation.

"Yet the police cannot enforce existing and important anti-social measures such as dealing with under-age drinking."