Major change in the way you buy alcohol, planned by the government. See how you can do this

Shoppers could soon be able to buy booze without needing physical proof of age.

Ministers are considering plans to let people buy alcohol with a digital identity card.

It could give the green light to the rollout of AI facial recognition to speed up checkout queues.

They also plan to require more age checks for online orders at the point of delivery.

Currently, anyone suspected of being under the age of 18 must provide physical identification such as a passport or driver's license.

But Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The Government is keen to enable the safe and appropriate use of new technologies that can improve the experience of consumers and retailers.

“However, the current wording of the law does not allow technology to play a role in the age verification process for the sale of alcohol.

“A person has to decide if someone is old enough to purchase alcohol.

“We are therefore discussing whether we should change the law to allow digital identities and technology to play a role in age verification.

“The need for robust national standards for digital identities and technology remains paramount to give both retailers and consumers confidence that they are fit for purpose.”

Mr Philp announced a separate investigation into age checks for drinks not purchased in person.

He suggested checking proof of age 'at the time of delivery', such as when customers receive bottles on their doorstep.