BURY North MP David Chaytor has given three cheers to a crackdown on public drunkenness and under-age drinking in a bid to reduce alcohol-related violence.

He has given his full support to a Home Office action plan to impose fixed penalty fines on drunks in public, new powers for police to close disorderly pubs, and proof-of-age schemes.

Mr Chaytor said: "Public drunkenness can lead to disorderly conduct, criminal damage and assaults, particularly near to pubs at closing time.

"It can also make people feel intimidated and frightened. "We must also address the issue of under-age drinking, which can lead to young people becoming involved in loutish and criminal behaviour and cause problems for them in later life."

A Pub and Club Watch is already fully operational in Bury, with Radcliffe landlords joining up to the scheme two weeks ago. Under the scheme, troublemakers will be barred from entering premises for a minimum of three years.

The introduction of toughened or plastic glasses is also being considered together with new laws banning drinking in certain public places.

Mr Chaytor added: "We will only succeed if everyone works together to combat the scourge of drunken loutishness."

Here are some sobering facts on the trouble alcohol can cause.

Drunken offenders are thought to be responsible for 40 per cent of violent crime, 75 per cent of assaults, and 88 per cent of criminal damage cases.

Around 125,000 people annually suffer facial injuries every year as a result of violence.

There are about 5,000 glassings every year, where a pint pot or glass has been used a weapon.