THE chair of the licensing board says minimum unit pricing will not 'dramatically improve' the relationship local youngsters have with alcohol.

Ronnie Ahlfeld was reacting to a report by Manchester Metropolitan University, which suggests that the introduction of the policy has had a 'minimal impact' on drink-related crime across Scotland.

The Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 states that all alcohol sold through licensed premises in Scotland cannot be sold below a set minimum unit price.

Councillor Ahlfeld said: "I don't think it will come as any great surprise locally that the effect of MUP on younger people has been minimal.

"Over successive summers we continue to see young people gathering in local hotspots, and in many cases they're drinking alcohol.

"MUP will not change the relationship young people have with alcohol.

"It could however be part of a range of measures designed to change the attitudes of young people and to make them more aware of the detrimental effects of alcohol.

"The legal considerations are clear in that it is illegal to purchase alcohol for a young person.

"Regular test purchasing procedures are carried out locally by police and it's encouraging that it has been a considerable time since any offending premises have been reported to the licensing board."