An international conference on youth, alcohol and crime will be held at the Watershed in Bristol later this month.

Organised by the University of the West of England (UWE), it will bring together experts from international research centres specialising in alcohol issues and legal experts with a special interest in crimes associated with heavy drinking.

The growing problem of binge drinking by young people is well documented and researched by the Alcohol and Health Research Unit directed by Professors Martin and Moira Plant at UWE.

Mr Plant said: "It is clear that we have an endemic problem with binge drinking in the United Kingdom.

"A major pan European study of teenage drinking that we have participated in (ESPAD) has shown that in the UK we have an unusually serious problem in this respect.

"This conference will focus on some of the most serious problems associated with youth drinking.

" These include heavy and problematic drinking amongst young men and women in different countries, as well as practical ways of curbing such problems."