The Scottish Government was yesterday urged to use existing laws to crack down on illegal alcohol sales amid claims that current powers "are not being used".

The Scottish Government was yesterday urged to use existing laws to crack down on illegal alcohol sales amid claims that current powers "are not being used".

Official figures revealed only two people have been fined for selling alcohol to drunk people on licensed premises since 2002.

Figures also showed that five under-18s were fined last year for buying drink in a bar.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill revealed the numbers following a request from Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown.

Mr Brown used the figures to attack the SNP's flagship plans to fight irresponsible drinking, including a ban on alcohol off-sales to under-21s.

Mr Brown said: "These figures show us that laws to tackle irresponsible and illegal drinking are not being used. There have, undoubtedly, over the last six years been more than two cases where bar staff have continued to serve somebody who is drunk."

He said the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 makes clear that supplying alcohol to a drunk person on licensed premises is an offence.

Mr Brown added: "Similarly, buying and consuming alcohol as an under-18 is also an offence. I find it hard to believe that only five people were fined for flouting this law.

"If ministers are serious about changing Scotland's drinking culture, then they should be focusing on implementing the law as it stands."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the figures published yesterday covered the previous Labour-Liberal Democrat administration.

"This government has rolled out the national test purchasing scheme, which will crack down on underage drinking by allowing police to deploy 16-year-olds to enforce the law, and we expect to see benefits soon," the spokeswoman said.