Brown hints at 24-hour drinking U-turn

Since taking over from Mr Blair last June, Mr Brown has already decided to reverse the downgrading of cannabis and moved to abandon plans for Britain's first "super-casinos".

The latest U-turn came as he announced a review of the licensing shake-up that had allowed pubs and shops to sell alcohol 24 hours a day.

The Prime Minister said stores that failed to act would be stripped of their licences and also called on local councils to impose drink bans in trouble spots.

Drinks industry chiefs were also put on alert that they must take more responsibility for warning young people of the dangers of alcohol.

He said: "Binge drinking and underage drinking that disrupt neighbourhoods are unacceptable.

"To punish: let me tell the shops that repeatedly sell alcohol to those who are under age - we will take your licences away.

"To prevent: councils should use new powers to ban alcohol in trouble spots and I call on the industry to do more to advertise the dangers of teenage drinking."

Mr Brown also set out a £670 million programme to provide new youth centres - financed, he said, by seizing unclaimed assets from dormant bank accounts.

He also said more police would be equipped with hand-held weapon detectors in "hotspot" cities where gun crime is a serious problem.

And he vowed any new immigrant caught selling drugs or using guns would be "thrown out".

On European affairs, he said: "At all times we will stand up for the British national interest. And I accept my responsibility to write into detail into the amended European Treaty the red lines we have negotiated for Britain."

According to newspaper reports today, backbench Labour MPs are stepping up pressure on Mr Brown to call a general election for next month.