where underage teenagers were getting fake drivers' licences so they could get into bars and nightclubs.

The Royal Gazette revealed on Wednesday that alcohol campaigners were concerned that youths were getting bogus drivers' licences from TCD and fake IDs from students returning from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Centre for Alcohol Control and Drug Abuse Prevention acting executive director Cathy Belvedere said computer experts were also manufacturing IDs and selling them for $25.

In the TCD scam, youths were claiming a drivers' licence belonging to a friend or relative had been lost. After presenting all the person's details, they gave TCD a photo of themselves and were given a licence in the other person's name.

TCD Director Donald Dane told The Royal Gazette on Wednesday that summer students at TCD had spotted six or seven of the bogus licences in 1998.

Since then, two other teenagers had attempted to fraudulently obtain licences and had been reported to the Police.

Mr. Dane said summer students discovered the scheme when they were checking licence files which contain a second photograph of the licence holder, which remain there for ten years before being renewed.

The students saw some photographs of people they knew who clearly were not the individuals whose details were on the files.

Mr. Dane said that now when a person claims a licence has been lost, they have to give full details to TCD which are fed into a computer.

If the details are correct, the photograph provided by the person seeking the replacement is checked against the photo held of the licence holder on file.

If they are different, staff call the Police.

Mr. Dane said: "We are very happy that that is now in place, so I don't think we'll see that happening in the future.

"The Police haven't prosecuted anyone, but I have given the person seeking this a very stern talking to in the presence of their parents and the Police.'' Jay Correia, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce nightclubs and restaurants division, confirmed there was a problem with teenagers using fake overseas college IDs to try to get into his bar, The Swizzle Inn.

A Police spokesman said: "We have been in contact with TCD. We've had discussions with them and the situation continues to be addressed.'' The spokesman reminded licensed premises owners that it was their responsibility to ensure no-one under 18 was allowed on their premises.