Almost 600 teenagers under the age of 18 have been fined for possessing or drinking alcohol since the ban was introduced in January 2014, according to the government’s collection agency.

Youngsters aged 16 and 17 can be fined up to €90 if caught. The fine is half that for the under-16s, broadcaster Nos reports.

However, the alcohol advisory institute Stap says it is not impressed by the figures, pointing out that just two teens have been fined in Amsterdam. ‘That is a joke,’ the organisation told an Nos radio programme.

Most fines – 25 – were handed out to teenagers in The Hague, followed by Den Bosch (21) and Deventer (20).

Stap wants the government to get tough on supermarkets and shops which sell alcohol to teenagers.

Despite rules restricting the sale of alcohol to people aged 18 and over, a group of eight 17-year-olds were able to buy 850 litres of beer, wine and spirits as part of a University of Twente experiment.

The teenagers bought the drink over a four-day period and were only refused in one in 10 attempts, the Telegraaf reported last month