Unease over new booze rules.

Industry chiefs fear new Ofcom regulations will be changed again after public-consultation period.

Uncertainty continues to surround the advertising of alcohol in Britain despite Ofcom moves to curb what it believes to have been persistent flouting of the rules.

As the Government puts pressure on Ofcom to help reduce Britain's binge-drinking habit, ad industry chiefs fear that new regulations published by the watchdog this week will be subject to further change after a public-consultation period.

Ofcom's chief executive, Stephen Carter, acknowledged that the consultation, which is to be undertaken by the newly created Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, would prolong the period of uncertainty.

But he insisted that it had been necessary to issue amended rules as quickly as possible after the transfer of regulatory power to the Advertising Standards Authority, even before a public consultation had taken place.

'There have been a lot of alcohol ads on screen that don't even conform to the current code,' Carter said. 'We don't want a brutal regulatory regime but there is a requirement for the alcohol industry to get its house in order.'

Although the new rules will not apply until October next year, so as not to affect the production of commercials currently in the pipeline, agencies are worried that further changes could yet be made to the ...