Drinkers could flock to Cumbria amid Scottish booze charge

There's a warning Scotland's bottle deposit return scheme, set to launch next year, could push drinkers into Cumbria.

The head of the Scottish Hospitality group fears border businesses will suffer, with people crossing the border for boozy sessions.

The scheme would see people pay a small deposit of 20 pence when they buy a drink in a single-use container.

Stephen Montgomery believes it'll have a similar effect to the alcohol tax which Scotland implemented in recent years. He said: "This is going to be the exact same as it's not coming out UK wide. "It is something hat will be driven by the Green Party and the Scottish government, and we are going to see people going across to Carlisle to buy their drink."

• scottish hospitality group
• drink tax
• bottle deposit return scheme