DO YOU know where your children are?

That's the question being asked by police to parents in East Dorset after seeing what they describe as dozens of children aged 14 to 17 drinking in and around Wimborne at weekends.

Police described seeing children drinking enough to make them unconscious and in recent weeks seized eight cans of lager from one boy - which had been given to him by his parents.

Sgt Tim Gallivan of Wimborne Police said: "What hope have we got if parents are giving alcohol to their children?"

Other reports the have received are of young girls knocking back cider, and some who have been found in public toilets with a bottle of wine each.

And police say on a busy Friday night up to 30 children are under the influence of alcohol in the town.

Sgt Gallivan said: "It takes up a considerable amount of our time trying to police young people who clearly haven't just come over for a quiet chat and to see their friends.

"My message to parents would be 'If you're dropping your child off in Wimborne make sure you know what they are doing, who they are with and how exactly they are spending their evening'.

"I would urge parents to talk to their kids when they come in and see if they've been drinking."

Police say the majority of the underage drinkers gather in the area of Church Street and Cook Row on Friday nights.

Wimborne is an alcohol exclusion zone and not only are the youngsters breaking the law by drinking under age, but they are also breaching a law against drinking in the town centre.

Officers are monitoring CCTV footage of the town and visiting schools in the area to identify those children responsible and operations are continuing with trading standards to prevent the sale of alcohol to under 18s.

First published: September 28