Children as young as 12 are ending up in hospital with alcohol poisoning

In seven years Norfolk saw the biggest rise with an increase of 69%, followed by Cambs (55%) and Herts (52%).

In Suffolk and Bedfordshire prosecutions are up by around a third and in the Thames Valley Police force area there has been no change.

In Northants there was a slight drop. Essex is the only county bucking the trend with prosecutions down 62%.

Parents are legally responsible for these children and they need to bring them up to have a respect for alcohol because it is freely available Norwich Youth Bench chairman Geoff Evans

New figures show that children are turning to drink at a younger age. Children as young as 12 are ending up in hospital with alcohol poisoning.

In Norwich, where the problem of under-age drinking seems to be the worst, the Safe and Sound Bus Project was set up to help young people who were too drunk to help themselves.

In 2001, 44 teenagers under 18 were looked after by the volunteers. Three years later that number had risen to 134.

Colin Landfrom the project said the youngsters were from right across the social spectrum.

He said the drinks industry itself had a lot to answer for with its happy hours, two-for-one offers, coloured packaging and sweet drinks.

The charity Drinksense says drunk teenagers who end up in court must be given help to stop them re-offending.

Magistrate and chairman of the Youth Bench in Norwich, Geoff Evans, said parents must take some of the blame.

"They are legally responsible for these children and they need to bring them up to have a respect for alcohol because it is freely available," he said.