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'Big 4' supermarket Morrisons has announced plans to introduce an age limit on high-caffeine energy drinks this year.

The food giant said that as of 5 March, any customers that buy a soft drink with more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre will have to prove their age first.

It comes after extensive campaigning at The Daily Mirror and The British Soft Drinks Association which introduced a voluntary code of practice in 2010 stating that high-caffeine soft drinks should not be promoted or marketed to those under 16.

Currently any soft drink with carries a warning and is not recommended for children.

Jamie Oliver, who has also backed the pledge to ban such drinks in schools, said: “It’s horrific. And it’s just wrong. But it is happening in hundreds of schools in Britain every day."

Andrew Clappen, Corporate Services Director at Morrisons, said: "We have listened to customers and are responding to their concerns about children drinking high caffeine energy drinks."

The changes will come into effect on 5 March 2018.

Earlier this month, Asda became the first ‘Big 4’ retailer to confirm plans to ban the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to people under the age of 16.

The supermarket, which has 646 stores across the UK, said an age restriction on 84 products will kick in on Monday 5 March.

From this date customers wishing to buy these products, either in store or online will need to be show appropriate ID.

Aldi quickly followed suit, adding that soft drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre from any of its UK or Ireland stores will require proof of ID from March 1.

Andrew Murray, Asda’s Chief Customer Officer said: “We take our responsibilities as a retailer seriously and work hard to ensure we get the balance right between offering choice and doing the right thing.

We have listened to our customers and want to take a leading position in this area to support parents and teachers in limiting young peoples’ access to high caffeine drinks.”

Oliver King, managing director of corporate responsibility at Aldi, said: "We are introducing this age restriction in response to growing concern about the consumption of energy drinks among young people."

The British Soft Drinks Association introduced a voluntary code of practice in 2010 stating that high-caffeine soft drinks should not be promoted or marketed to those under 16.

It comes after figures revealed youngsters in the UK are among the highest consumers of energy drinks in Europe.