Hard Sell of 'Soft' Drinks Criticised

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The head of the government-backed regulatory body for the brewing industry yesterday criticised the way that many alcoholic "soft" drinks have been marketed, writes John McKie.

Dr John Rae, director of the Portman Group which meets tomorrow to discuss a new code of practice for the alcohol industry, said the industry's image had to be "whiter than white".

Last night he criticised the approach of firms such as Bass, which has produced an "alcoholic lemonade", Hooper's Hooch, selling 2 million bottles a week, for encouraging an increase in under-age drinking.

Nigel Griffiths, Labour's consumer affairs spokesman, has already written to the Advertising …