SALES of Buckfast have reached a record high despite the tough economic climate.

The tonic wine, made by Benedictine monks and a favourite of teenage troublemakers, has been flying off the shelves during the past year with sales totalling almost £40 million.

The number of bottles sold had dipped for the first time in a decade the previous year but it appears the public have not lost their appetite for the concoction.

J Chandler & Company, which bottles and distributes the wine, saw its turnover increase to a record high of £39.1m in 2011/12.

That amounts to a rise of £1.3m from the previous year when sales fell by 2.3%. Pre-tax profits also rose to £2.8m from £2.5m.

The Scottish Labour Party have called for drinks with high alcohol and caffeine contents, such as Buckfast, to be banned.

The wine, produced by monks at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, has been linked with antisocial behaviour and violence in Scotland.

A BBC investigation found the drink had been mentioned in 5638 Strathclyde Police crime reports between 2006 and 2009.

However, the company behind it has said the drink has been unfairly singled out for criticism.