'Coroner blames cut-price alcohol for soaring number of drink deaths'

A coroner has hit out at Britain's binge-drinking culture after presiding over a run of inquests into alcohol-linked deaths. William Armstrong, coroner for Greater Norfolk, criticised the Government's introduction of round-the-clock alcohol licences, which he said had failed to have the desired effect of ushering in more leisurely drinking habits - Daily Mail​

A Scottish brewery has been branded "irresponsible" after launching what it said was the UK's strongest beer. With an 18.2% alcohol content, a 330ml bottle of Tokyo, made by BrewDog, contained six units of alcohol - twice the recommended daily limit - BBC News​

Beer prices could fall at pubs across the UK after an unprecedented demand for a shake-up of the industry. The Campaign for Real Ale urged the Office of Fair Trading to stop dominant pub companies from "over-charging" tenants for booze and rent. The move threatens to trigger a full-scale investigation into Britain's two biggest pubco's - Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns -The Sun​

The Scottish government's campaign against binge drinking has received a significant boost with Molson Coors - the company that produces Britain's biggest-selling lager Carling - calling for minimum pricing for alcohol to be investigated - The Times​

Two bungling burglars who raided a booze depot were found in a drunken stupor after drinking their ill-gotten gains. The duo stole cases of beer and cider, stashed most of it, and then drank the rest rather than fleeing the scene. The men then turned up drunk for their subsequent trial before Swansea magistrates - South Wales Evening Post​