The British government has already outlined a plan for official guidance for parents on how much alcohol their children should be permitted to consume at different ages.

Now the government has directed its Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson to carry out a review, which will consider what age is suitable for children to start drinking without causing long-term health damage, how much they can safely drink and to what level the drinking should be supervised.

The report could result in a change of the law that would see parents facing legal action if they allow their children to even taste an alcoholic drink, the Mail online said.

The fresh move comes as the government mulls legal action against parents who fail to stop their children binge-drinking or persistently possessing alcohol in public.

Presently, it is illegal for parents to allow children below five a taste of beer, wine or spirits at home but a government review is looking at raising that limit.

The crackdown comes amid growing concern over underage drinking, with figures showing that alcoholism among the youth is on the rise. According to government sources, roughly one in five 11 to 15-year-olds drinks regularly, with their average consumption doubling between 1990 and 2000.

The government last month decided to launch a 10 million pounds campaign to check alcohol abuse in the country, with research showing three out of four people unaware of their "limits".