Police have told Winchester publicans to tighten up their act in the wake of a surge of drunk and disorderly behaviour.

The warning comes from Inspector Steve France-Sargeant, who has sent a letter to all city-centre pubs, threatening to prosecute if they are found to have continued serving someone who had already consumed too much.

"With immediate effect, all persons who, when arrested for any reason, are drunk, will be interviewed the following morning and will be asked about where they obtained their last few drinks," says the police chief.

"Using this information, coupled with medical evidence of their drunkenness, we will consider a prosecution case against the licensee."

A rider states that if it emerges that the individual involved was ejected from the premises before the arrest, then that would make "a significant difference".

The letter follows a reported increase in drunken violence, particularly at weekends, in towns and cities across the UK.

Mr France-Sargeant, who is in charge of Winchester police, said: "We're trying everything we can to sort out yobbery in the evenings."

He said the letter was meant as a reminder to licensees of their obligations under the law not to serve drunk people.

"If necessary, we will prosecute. If we have clear evidence that the licensee is breaching the law, we'll deal with it like anything else."

Mike Sinker, of the Baker's Arms, said that, in his 32 years as a publican in Winchester, he had not seen a letter like it - but he thought that action was certainly needed in the city.

"There is a general rise in disorder everywhere," he added.

Mr Sinker said he didn't feel personally threatened because drunk and disorderly behaviour was not a problem at his premises. "It's always been an offence to serve someone who is drunk."

Louise Akers, chairman of Pubwatch and the manager of The Slug and Lettuce, in The Square, said she and other members of the scheme had discussed it with the police.

"They have to be seen to take action on this. They need to address the problem of city centre crime and a lot of that is related to drunk and disorderly behaviour."

A spokesman for The Original Porthouse, Upper Brook Street, said the letter had made them extra cautious: "It's something we have to keep a close eye on.

"We've just got rid of a lot of troublemakers," he added.

Meanwhile, Hampshire County Council is to urge the Government to change the law relating to under-age sales of alcohol.

A formal request will be made to make corporate owners of licensed premises take responsibility for any alcohol sold to those under 18. At present, individual shop staff are liable for prosecution.

Council leader, Ken Thornber, said: "We hope that this will encourage them to ensure their staff are fully trained when selling age-restricted goods.

"Some staff members may be cautious about asking for identification if they feel their employers will leave them 'high and dry' if they're caught."

He said that cutting the number of illegal sales of age-restricted products was one of the top priorities for trading standards.