Police will raid pubs and off-licences selling booze to youngsters in a blitz on under-age drinking to be launched next week.

And they are threatening to use new powers to force drinkers out of parks and open spaces which are "hotspots" for alcohol-fuelled violence.

At least 30 forces across the country are expected to take part in a nationwide crackdown on binge drinking and the trouble it causes from July 9.

It follows a recent warning by Tony Blair that excessive drinking was becoming a "new sort of British disease", with growing anti-social behaviour while property crime falls.

Pub and club landlords will be warned not to continue serving alcohol to people already drunk and exclusion orders will be issued to ban troublemakers.

Police officers are also expected to collect information on cheap drinks promotions, including "happy hours" and "two for one" offers.

The police stressed the campaign was not intended to curb the pleasure of "people who enjoy drinking with few ill-effects who drink responsibly".

A Home Office spokesman said: "There will be more police officers to target drink-related trouble, in particular under-age drinking in pubs and clubs.

"Statistics show that crime overall is coming down, but alcohol-related violence is rising and this strategy is responding to that threat."

Home Office research found that alcohol is the cause of 44% of violent crime and 70 per cent of admissions to hospital accident and casualty departments on Friday and Saturday nights.

Ministers are holding meetings with the alcohol industry to urge it to reconsider promotions that encourage drinkers to consume large amounts in a short time.

And a new five-year anti-crime plan, to be released next month, is expected to pave the way for drunken troublemakers to be banned from pubs and clubs for three years.

Speaking at a crime conference this week, Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "We are no longer prepared to tolerate public spaces becoming no-go areas for law-abiding citizens."