A summer crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence led to 100 arrests and 900 drinks being confiscated.

Brighton and Hove was chosen to be part of a drive to curb a large number of attacks, particularly at weekends.

Throughout July and August, Sussex Police carried out monitoring of licensed premises and sent extra patrols on to the streets.

Brighton and Hove City Council's trading standards officers also mounted sting operations to catch pubs and clubs selling alcohol to under-18s.

Sixteen city premises are facing charges of selling to under-age drinkers, after more than a quarter of Brighton and Hove's licensed premises were visited. About 400 drinks were confiscated from under-18s and more than 500 from adults.

Most were illegally drinking in designated areas or alcohol enforcement zones introduced in the city centre.

Twenty-three of the people arrested have so far appeared in court.

Police chiefs and Home Secretary David Blunkett have heralded the blitz a success.

Chief Superintendent Paul Curtis, divisional commander of Brighton and Hove police, said: "The large-scale success of this campaign has been demonstrated by the results achieved in Brighton and Hove.

"With the measures we already had in place to tackle alcohol disorder, such as high-visibility policing of the city centre and working with the pub and club companies to plan for improved management of licensed premises, we introduced a schedule of licensed premises checks.

"Members of the public recognise alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in the city.

"They can rest assured that, although the Home Office campaign has drawn to a close, we will continue to target those who are drunk and disorderly and those involved with drink-related violent crime."

The Brighton and Hove campaign was an extension of the ongoing Operation Marble, which involves officers stationed in the clubbing and pubbing heart of the city on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Across England and Wales, police carried out sting operations in more than 1,700 licensed premises and targeted more than 4,000 trouble-makers with fixed penalty notices.

They confiscated alcohol from more than 9,500 people.

More than 30,500 premises, including 7,158 off-licences, were visited and five per cent of these were found to have committed an offence.

Out of 1,781 sting operations, 52 per cent of licensed premises and 32 per cent of off-licences were found to be selling to under-18s.

Police issued 4,120 fixed penalty notices to individuals - 1,787 for causing harassment, 1,805 for being drunk and disorderly and 528 for other alcohol-related offences.

Police confiscated alcohol from 3,301 under-18s and from 6,395 adults in a "designated area".

They issued 70 dispersal orders and 5,744 arrests were made.