A CAMPAIGN to stamp out the sale of alcohol to youngsters will be launched in Calderdale.

The Proof of Age scheme, which issues cards to teenagers so they can prove their age, has been hugely successful in Leeds and Wakefield.

It is now set to be used across Calderdale - and Kirklees could be next.

West Yorkshire Trading Standards officials are visiting schools in Calderdale to educate children about age-restricted goods and tell them about the card.

It is hoped that cards can start to be issued by late spring.

They include a picture of the holder, the date of birth and when they turn 16 and 18.

Trading Standards officers will also be visiting traders and asking them to display "No Card = No Sale" signs in their shops.

Carol Hallett, of Trading Standards, says she hopes to issue more than 5,000 cards in Calderdale.

"The young people are keen to have the cards because it means they can prove their age for things like the cinema and even bus journeys," she said.

"But the real winners are traders. They feel so much happier now they have something to rely on."

Cash for the cards in Calderdale has come jointly from the Primary Care Trust and the Connexions Service.