Pubs and bars in the centre of Oxford have vowed to stamp out underage drinking with the aid of a new gadget.

Teenagers have been buying fake driving licences for £10 on the Internet and then using them to try to gain access to pubs and clubs.

More than a dozen venues in the heart of the city have now ordered special keyring attachments, which can detect fake ID.

The £5 key fobs emit an ultraviolet light, which highlights watermarks on genuine driving licences.

In all, 15 premises belonging to the city's Pubwatch scheme will receive the key fobs.

They are already in use at Bar Risa/Jongleurs, Thirst, Thirst Lodge, Copa, The Crown, Far From The Madding Crowd, Park End, Po Na Na and The Turf Tavern.

The gadgets have been funded by Oxford city centre management company OX1, using Pubwatch sub- scriptions.

Rob Opher, owner of Thirst Lodge, in Pennyfarthing Place, said: "It's a great idea.

"Anything that helps battle underage drinking is a positive step.

"Kids purchase the fake driving licences on the Internet as novelty items but use them as a form of fake ID.

"They're very common because kids want to go out.

"It's very difficult to spot the fake ones but having this UV light means we can run it across the card and we can tell if it has got the watermark or not."

Paul Strawson, manager of Copa, in George Street, said: "I have got one in both of my tills. If any member of staff gets any ID handed to them, they can make sure it's credible. It's not an impressive gadget but the first time I saw a driver's licence under a UV light I was surprised how many markings there were on it."

Mr Strawson said less people had been using fake IDs in Oxford since a scheme was brought in last year, where forged ID is con- fiscated.

He added: "I have probably handed in 10 in the last 12 months. Fewer people are presenting fake ID now because they know it is going to be handed in to the police."

*Under-18s caught buying alcohol face an on-the-spot £50 fine. Bar or shop staff can also be fined and landlords can lose their licences if they are caught repeatedly serving underage drinkers.