A pilot scheme to combat Selby's under-age drinking culture was launched today.

A specialist worker is being brought in to counsel youngsters between the ages of eight and 17 after police figures lifted the lid on the "teeny booze" problem.

The District Alcohol Service (DAS), which has just been given £15,000 to fund the one-year project, says under-age alcohol abuse is now just as big a problem in Selby as drugs.

They said they hoped to make the specialist worker's appointment a permanent one after the scale of the problem was laid bare by police figures.

In the last six months, officers patrolling the streets of Selby have confiscated illegally-bought booze from 45 youths and 18 girls, whose average age was just 14.

The type of alcohol ranged from beers, lagers and cider to spirits, wine and designer drinks such as Hooch, Bacardi Breezers and Maverick Ice.

The area's licensing officer, PC John Stephenson, said that in the past 18 months, five young Selby people had been admitted to hospital in an unconscious state because of drink - and two of them were only 12 years old.

The £15,000 was handed over by Selby Primary Care Group.

Gill Cashmore, co-ordinator of Selby Association of Voluntary Services, said: "We want to provide the same sort of service for youngsters and their families in awareness-raising, support and education, as we do for adults.

"More and more youngsters are being attracted to high-strength alcohol by smart advertising and marketing. We need to tell them of the damage they are doing to themselves physically and to their future lifestyle and employment prospects.

"It will be one-to-one counselling, which will be monitored and evaluated."

DAS chairman Steve Shaw-Wright said: "Drink is more easily accessible than drugs, and it causes many social and behaviourial problems."