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BUCKFAST has been linked to almost 7000 crimes in Scotland over the last three years, police figures have revealed.

The tonic wine is mentioned six times a day in crime reports compiled by officers across the country.

Offences involving the drink made by Benedictine monks in Devon include attempted murder, assaults with weapons and sexual attacks.

Buckfast distributors J Chandler & Co have denied the product is to blame for thugs’ actions.

The new figures show that in the old Strathclyde Police area, Buckfast was mentioned in 6496 reports over the last three years.

That was a rise of almost 1000 from the previous three years and the true toll could be higher as multiple offences can be included in one crime report.

In Fife, there were 175 reports which mentioned Buckfast over the three years, 30 involving a weapon.

Tayside dealt with 150 crimes, Central Scotland had 92 and there were 40 in Lothian and Borders.

There were 22 incidents in Grampian and 21 in Dumfries and Galloway, while Northern couldn’t provide a figure.

Other crimes linked to the drink include shoplifting, housebreaking and culpable and reckless conduct.

Yesterday, MSPs said the ­statistics ­reinforced demands for action on alcohol-related violence.

Coatbridge has been dubbed ­Scotland’s Buckie capital and the town’s Labour MSP Elaine Smith called for a ban on high-caffeine drinks such as Buckfast.

She said: “It has been proven that the mixture of caffeine and alcohol is an explosive one which causes increased anxiety and aggression.

“When the Alcohol Bill went through Parliament, Labour attempted to legally limit the amount of caffeine in alcohol to 150mg per litre. This was unfortunately voted down by the SNP.

“It is time the Scottish Government looked again at tackling this problem.”

Alison McInnes MSP, the Scottish Lib Dems’ justice spokeswoman, said: “A bottle of tonic wine might be cheap but these figures show Scotland pays a high price for the ­problems that ­excessive drinking can cause in our communities.

“We have already seen moves towards minimum pricing that will help reduce problem drinking.

“But ministers must continue to work with retailers and police to ensure alcohol is sold responsibly.”

A regular bottle of Buckfast contains 281mg of caffeine – the equivalent of eight cans of Coke – and is 15 per cent alcohol.

Phil Hanlon, professor of public health at Glasgow University, told how mixing excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine can have disastrous results.

He said: “Caffeine is an issue which involves ­accidents, taking risks you wouldn’t otherwise take and getting involved in violence or ­aggression. You get disinhibited with alcohol and if you add a central nervous system stimulant such as caffeine to that, it can make the likelihood of you getting involved in a misadventure while under the influence greater.”

J Chandler & Co insisted their drink had been unfairly persecuted.

Spokesman Stewart Wilson said: “Simply because Buckfast is mentioned in a crime report does not mean the drink was responsible for the crime.

“It is an individual’s choice to go out and commit a crime and it is nothing to do with Buckfast.

“We feel we are unfairly singled out, whereas various other brands of alcohol which are connected with crime are not.

“I would imagine the number of crime reports where Buckfast is mentioned is minimal when you compare it to the total number of crimes committed.”

In February, J Chandler & Co launched legal action accusing Strathclyde Police of discrimination after the force attached anti-crime labels to bottles.

The labels allow police to trace bottles back to the shop, to identify anyone selling to underage drinkers or detect crime suspects.

Police Chief Superintendent Bob Hamilton said: “We will continue our efforts to combat all alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour by challenging the individuals involved and targeting areas for enforcement.”