New powers to tackle the problem of under-age drinking in England and Wales have come into force. The government says they will make it easier for police to confiscate alcohol from youths and to move on groups of teenagers who are causing trouble. There will also be tougher penalties for shopkeepers who repeatedly sell alcohol to young people.

From Friday, a police officer will be able to seize alcohol from suspected under-age drinkers without having to prove they intended to consume it themselves. They will also be able to issue a so-called "direction to leave" order to children as young as 10 who are causing trouble - until now only those over 16 could receive one.

The government has also created a new offence for under-18s of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place. Finally, any shopkeepers who are caught selling alcohol to under-age drinkers twice in three months will immediately lose their licence - a toughening of the law from "three strikes" to "two strikes".

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said: "The majority of young people are model citizens but there are a minority that are not. "These powers will make it easier for police to take tough action against those groups whose behaviour can affect a whole community." The government said it was also providing young people with activities and places to go, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, which would give them "positive alternatives to drinking".

Commander O'Brien, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead spokesman on licensing, said: "The police service welcomes these new measures to combat the problem of under-age drinkers and those supplying alcohol to them. "The ability to remove alcohol from under-age drinkers and take action against those who, through vulnerability or lack of personal responsibility, regularly misbehave under the influence of alcohol will assist the police in dealing with the complexities of alcohol misuse and misbehaviour."