A FIFE charity has claimed that the controversial minimum unit pricing for alcohol, which comes into force today, has "glaring loopholes".

New legislation brought into force by the Scottish Government sets a minimum 50 pence per unit price to tackle the damage caused by cheap, high strength booze.

However, Jim Bett, service manager at Fife Alcohol Support Service (FASS), believes there are ways the public can "sidestep" the new guidelines.

He said: "The controversial new law which states that from May 1 no alcohol can be sold in Scottish shops or bars for less than 50p per unit has got several glaring loopholes which have become evident.

"It's a worrying fact but detailed guidance just published by the Scottish Government has revealed that some people will be able to sidestep the new law by using online or telephone sales, or even 'click and collect' services and these will be exempt from the new tax, provided the alcohol is despatched from outside Scotland.

"The supermarket 'meal deals' will also sidestep the new law as long as the total price, including food, exceeds the minimum unit price, and also loyalty reward vouchers can be used to cut the cost of alcohol at the point of sale."

Legislation was approved in Holyrood in 2012, but its introduction was delayed after a legal dispute.

The Scotch Whisky Association claimed the move was a restriction on trade, but the UK Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Scottish Parliament and concluded that it did not breach EU law.

FASS operates throughout Fife and offers confidential counselling services which aims to assist those struggling with the harmful effects of alcohol.

Jim concluded that while there were loopholes in the pricing, he was supportive of the decision.

He said: "This new law should save hundreds of lives and lead to thousands fewer alcohol-related hospital admissions in Scotland and this is to be closely monitored by FASS and other agencies over the next few years."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am extremely proud that the eyes of the world will once again be on Scotland with the introduction of this legislation.

“Our action is bold and it is brave, and shows once again that we are leading the way in introducing innovative solutions to public health challenges.

“It’s no secret that Scotland has a troubled relationship with alcohol. There are, on average, 22 alcohol-specific deaths every week in Scotland, and 697 hospital admissions and behind every one of these statistics is a person, a family, and a community badly affected by alcohol misuse.

“Given the clear and proven link between consumption and harm, minimum unit pricing is the most effective and efficient way to tackle the cheap, high strength alcohol that causes so much damage to so many families.”