A SIXTH form head is to hold talks with pub bosses in a bid to ease under-age drinking.

Tony Moore, sixth form director at Dorchester's Thomas Hardye School, says more should be done to stamp out the 'deplorable' problem.

He plans to sit down with county town-based pub operator Eldridge Pope to see if more can be done to ensure under-18s do not obtain alcohol.

The meeting follows a complaint from a parent of a sixth form pupil over students who went on a booze-fuelled night out in Dorchester.

Mr Moore today stressed the event - in which a teenager is alleged to have passed out through drinking too much - was completely independent of Thomas Hardye School.

He said: "I'm not going to pretend under-age drinking does not go on because it clearly does.

"You only have to be in Dorchester or any other town on a weekend to see that. But that does not make it right and my own view is that under-age drinking is deplorable.

"Binge drinking is a really big issue and we regularly inform students here of the dangers associated with it.

"But there comes a point when there is only so much you can do."

Mr Moore is urging parents and pub operators to take more responsibility to ensure under-18s do not get their hands on alcohol.

He now plans to meet representatives of Eldridge Pope to see what steps can be taken to tackle the problem.

"I'm trying to do something constructive on this. I hope pub landlords and parents will be more responsible," he said.

A mum, whose daughter attends Thomas Hardye sixth form, said she was shocked at the behaviour of many students who attended a midweek party night in the town. She said the event, which continued until 2am, saw students pass out in the street and be sick in the street after a boozy night.

The mum, who asked not to be named, said: "The next day I parked outside the school in the morning and saw four sixth form boys leaving the school looking rather the worse for wear.

"One of them proceeded to be sick over my car."

Mr Moore said he had no knowledge of the incident.

"The night out was organised fully by the students for themselves. As a school we completely distance ourselves from what may have gone on," he said.

A spokesman for Eldridge Pope said its pub staff were instructed not to sell alcohol to under-18s and trained to ask for age identification if in doubt.

"We recognise under age drinking is a problem and welcome talks on any improvements or fresh ideas we can make in any of our pubs," he said.

Inspector Les Fry, of Dorchester Police, encouraged young people to obtain an age identification card.

"We're not aware of any significant under age drinking problems in Dorchester but this is something which affects nearly every town.

"I would encourage anyone with concerns or information on this to get in touch with me," he said.