TEENAGERS in Lancashire are binge drinking and getting involved in violence after regularly consuming more than the safe weekly alcohol limit for adults.

A study by North West Trading Standards has shown that 38% of 14 to 17-year-olds in Lancashire binge drink every week.

In Blackburn with Darwen, 38% of girls and 18% of boys aged 14 to 17 are exceeding the recommended weekly drinking limits for adults, and 36% of those teenagers admitted to becoming violent after drinking.

The figures were released a day after the chief constable of Cheshire Peter Fahy called for alcohol to be made more expensive, the legal drinking age to be raised to 21, and a ban on drinking in public.

He was speaking after the conviction for murder of four "feral" teenage boys who kicked Warrington father-of-three Garry Newlove to death.

The government recommends no more than 21 units of alcohol per week for men, and 14 for women.

Across the North West, 11% of 14 to 17-year-olds claimed to drink more than 30 units - or 10 pints of strong lager - every week.

Most of the 11,724 teenagers questioned throughout the north west said alcohol was bought for them by their parents or by older friends.

The figures highlight Blackburn with Darwen as one of the worst areas in the country for under-age drinking.

The study, completed last autumn, also showed that 15% of youngsters in Blackburn with Darwen had been in a car with a drunk-driver, and 14% had regretted having sex after drinking.

Blackburn with Darwen also had the north west's highest percentage of non-drinkers, at 30%, but analysis showed that most of these teenagers were from the Muslim community, which traditionally does not drink.

And health bosses fear this means the problem is even bigger among white youths.

Coun Roy Davies, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Council's health scrutiny committee, said: "We have got to reverse the trends that have led to children regularly drinking on the streets and get them back to youth centres.

"It is not always the shops selling to young people and it is their parents who are buying alcohol for them.

"That's an abysmal disgrace."

But the council's leader Coun Colin Rigby said work was being done.

He said: "We're taking concerted action to educate young people about the dangers of alcohol misuse, through campaigns, resources and policies in schools and have appointed specialist workers to provide advice, information and treatment to young people experiencing problems with alcohol.

"At the same time, we're constantly reminding retailers of the law and taking enforcement action against those who break it.

"Last year 17 retailers were given fixed penalty notices of £80 and several had their licences reviewed for selling alcohol to under age children."

Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for children Coun Marcus Johnstone said: "We take the issue of alcohol misuse by young people extremely seriously and are working hard to tackle it.

"All schools have policies in place and programmes designed to educate our young people about the dangers associated with alcohol."