It could be the West Lothian answer. As towns and cities across the country struggle to contain the problems of underage drinking and anti-social behaviour, one former mining community has come up with a potential solution.

It could be the West Lothian answer.

As towns and cities across the country struggle to contain the problems of underage drinking and anti-social behaviour, one former mining community has come up with a potential solution.

Last night Armadale introduced its bold new policy on alcohol sales. Anyone aged under 21 will not be able to buy alcohol from off-licences between 5pm and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

The plan is to stop young adults - known as "agents"

to police - buying alcohol for younger people and is seen as a key way in removing alcohol from the hands of those too young to buy it themselves.

It's a radical move, which has been under discussion by police, West Lothian Council, licensees and community leaders since December and comes into effect long before ministers decide whether or not to raise the legal purchase age of alcohol from 18.

While the authorities stress that Armadale is "no better or worse" than any other town in Scotland, the scale of the problem in the West Lothian town, which has a population of just in excess of 9000, is well recorded.

Since January, police were called out to almost 130 incidents of youth disorder, most of which were linked to alcohol in some way, according to police.

Up to 300 litres of alcohol have been confiscated from underage drinkers since November. "I Love Buckfast" is one piece of graffiti scrawled in the town centre.

Lynsey Love, 27, who has lived in Armadale all her life, said: "I wouldn't walk down the street at the weekend now. It's just crowds of young ones, loads of them, drinking and shouting. I still go to the pub sometimes, but if I do I would get a taxi home, and I only just live up the road.

"I work in A&E every second weekend and you see the damage it is doing to young people. I am glad they are trying to do something about it. It never used to be like this in Armadale."

The weekend begins early for young people across West Lothian, where secondary schools close at 12 noon and the streets fill with teenagers looking for something to do.

"It is this situation which has been a key driver in the new clampdown on underage drinking, said leader of West Lothian Council, Peter Johnston.

He said: "You have these teenagers coming out of school and there is nothing for them to do. They are hanging around off-licences, trying to get access to alcohol, and this is what's causing problems in the community." To fill the Friday afternoon void, the council has now offered free swimming sessions to teenagers to keep them away from the off-licence.

It is also looking at keeping schools open for sports and leisure clubs and has committed £250,000 to creating a range of programmes.

Shopkeepers were last night preparing themselves for the first night of the scheme, which is modelled on a similar project in Cleveland where the 21-rule is said to have led to a 65% reduction in antisocial behaviour.

Margaret Hunter, 57, a shopkeeper at Spar, said: "We are really strict when it comes to identification but it is the older people trying to buy it for the younger ones that is the problem.

"People can get a bit abusive if they have a drink in them. It does shock me when you see the state of the young ones.

"You wonder where they are getting the alcohol from."

Some young people between the ages of 18 and 20 have complained that the scheme is unfair on them, because they won't be able to buy drink despite being of legal age.

Mark McLeish, 20, a tyre fitter from Armadale, said: "You go to the pub after work on a Friday and then you go and buy some tins to take home from the shop.

"It think it's a bit unfair that I won't be able to do that, but I suppose I can just buy my drink a bit earlier than normal."

Police Constable Philip McIntosh, of the safer neighbourhoods team set up in response to antisocial behaviour in the area, said: "We're not banning alcohol, we are just asking those aged 18 and over to be more proactive and plan ahead so you don't need to buy it during these times."