POLICE today appealed for parents to keep a tighter rein on their children after a boy of just TEN was found slumped drunk and semi-conscious in the street.

And an alcohol campaign group condemned the incident and called for more to be done to tackle the problem of teen boozing.

Officers were called to the back of Brunshaw Road ib Burnley at about 8pm on Friday night after residents called to complain about a group of youngsters drinking.

Police said the 10-year-old was extremely drunk and that they were concerned for his health.

He was taken home and later told officers he had drunk half a bottle of White Lightning a strong type of cider with an alcohol content of 7.5 per cent.

Insp Damian Darcy, of Burnley Police, said the youngster was not the first to be taken home drunk but that his young age was very worrying.

He said: "This is a very worrying incident and a great cause of concern.

"The officers who found this youngster were very worried about his health and welfare as he was extremely drunk.

"Parents need to make sure they know where their children are going, who they are going to be with and what they are planning to do.

"Adults also need to be aware that they should not be giving alcohol to minors as it is an offence and they do not know who it could be given to as this case shows.

"We will continue to carry out test purchases at off-licences to make sure they are not selling to minors and also keep a check that adults are not buying for children."

Last month a man was reported for summons to court after he was caught offering to buy alcohol for a teenager.

Earlier this month police said they were being hindered from tackling serious crimes because their hands were full with drunken teenagers.

The admission came after 14 extra officers had to be drafted in to deal with a weekend of juvenile drinking in Padiham and Burnley.

A survey conducted for The Portman Group, a body which campaigns for responsible drinking, last year showed that almost one third of adults have been asked to buy alcohol for someone under 18.

The survey also found one in four adults who admitted to buying alcohol for someone under 18 said that they did not know it was an offence.

A further survey for the Lancashire Children's Fund and Lancashire County Council found 63 per cent of nine to 16-year-olds questioned drank alcohol regularly with the majority given the booze by their parents.

Michael Bailey, of the Brunshaw Action Group, said: "This is a problem that is getting worse everywhere and a lot of the problems are caused because the youngsters have nowhere to go.

"What we need is something like a warehouse where the children can go which is cheap and where they can enjoy themselves in a supervised environment." Mr Bailey said his group were working with police to try and set up a Twilight' evening where youngsters could go between 7pm and midnight as an alternative to hanging around outside and drinking.

Brunshaw ward councillor David Halsall said: "This is an endemic problem and we need to get the message across about how harmful drinking alcohol can be and that parents need to take responsibility for their children."

Director of the Institute of Alcohol Studies Andrew McNeill said: "One of the main causes of this problem is that drinking has become extremely fashionable among adults and as teenagers want to be seen as young adults they drink as well.

"Another problem is that alcohol is still easy to get hold of and many parents appear to wash their hands of what their children are doing."