POLICE in north Herefordshire have discovered the thin blue line really is the best weapon when it comes to tackling underage drinking.

Kington and Leominster youngsters who disguise alcohol as soft drinks are proving no match for officers using new dip strips, which are dropped into pop bottles or cans and turn blue if the contents are alcoholic.

The shade produced then indicates the strength of drink involved, with darker colours indicating a higher alcoholic content and vice versa.

Sgt Mike Doolan said: “We have noticed that a few under-age youngsters do put alcopops and similar drinks into pop bottles and cola tins.

“The Drugs and Alcohol Forums have purchased the strips for us so that we can instantly detect any alcohol content when we suspect youngsters are drinking underage or flouting the alcohol-free zone laws.”

Kington and Leominster Drug and Alcohol Forums have both contributed and Sgt Doolan said working with pub landlords through the neighbourhood scheme Herefordshire Against Night time Disorder (HAND) meant anti-social behaviour had already reduced significantly, particularly in Leominster.