A crackdown has been launched on booze-fuelled yobs who cause mayhem in Bradford.

Police and trading standards officers will tackle alcohol-related violence which blights city centre streets.

Key targets will be pubs, bars and nightclubs which promote rowdy behaviour, drunken thugs who cause trouble and shopkeepers and bar staff selling alcohol to underage youths. Government ministers said the eight-week national campaign would focus on problems on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights - when trouble peaks.

Bradford was one of 77 police force areas in England and Wales which volunteered to take part in the Home Office crackdown, which starts today.

Police and trading standards teams can use several powers to tackle alcohol-related violence.

These include:

l closing rowdy pubs and nightclubs for 24 hours

l issuing £40 on-the-spot fines to people who are drunk and disorderly

l using under-18s to trap landlords who sell booze to children

l naming and shaming retailers who are convicted.

Tony Payne, the chief executive of the Brighouse-based Licensed Victuallers' Association said: "We support the Government and the police and we're willing to work with them to stop problem drinkers. It's something which will benefit the public at large.

"We want to ensure that if there are people who are misbehaving, the police will take action. We don't want to be blamed for trouble in town and city centres.

"One major problem is cheap drinks from supermarkets. During Euro 2004 they were selling cider at 51p a pint and strong lager at 62p.

"This concerns us because people are drinking too much alcohol before they even come out."

David Lodge, of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said they would be targeting shopkeepers who sold alcohol to under-age drinkers.

"We welcome new initiatives which complement or enhance this and we look forward to working with other agencies," said Mr Lodge.

"Our involvement is advising shopkeepers and then making test purchases using under-age children and then prosecuting offenders.

"We target our resources to hotspots."

West Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Phil Brear, said: "It isn't about stopping people having a good time - just the opposite. We want to make sure that people out for an enjoyable night don't have it spoiled by others.

"This campaign builds on the work we have been doing for some time with our partners to make city and town centres better places to live, work and socialise."

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, who is overseeing the Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, said: "We are mounting a concerted campaign to tackle the far-reaching problem of alcohol misuse and the violence it fuels. Alcohol-related violence accounts for 44 per cent of all violent crime."

l Trading Standards have set up a hotline on 01133 848 848 for people to report shopkeepers selling alcohol to under-18s.