Cut alcohol ...but it won't cut the cost

HEALTH-CONSCIOUS shoppers are paying more for zero-alcohol drinks than their full-strength equivalents.

-  Neil Doyle

Britons who are ditching booze in soaring numbers have created a £450million market in alternatives.

But many consumers get a sobering shock when they arrive at the checkout.

Ahead of Alcohol Awareness Week this paper compared supermarket prices. It found some alcohol-free drinks cost 20 per cent more than their boozy equivalents.

Experts say retailers are charging a high price due to booming demand.