SHOCKED residents heard how two 11-year-old girls had to receive hospital treatment after they turned up drunk at a junior disco.

Councillor Pam Barton told a meeting of Accrington Area Council how the youngsters arrived at the disco in the Spring Hill area the worse for wear.

Speaking during a debate on anti-social behaviour, she said the girls tried to get inside but the organisers realised they were drunk and contacted the police. And she was particularly shocked that officers were unable to trace their parents.

Councillor Barton said: "One of them collapsed and both of the girls ended up on a drip, and we could not get hold of their mums or dads. I thought the parents would have started to miss them when the disco finished at 10pm, but by midnight they still could not be traced."

Inspector Julian Platt, of Accrington Police, said parents should take more responsibility for their children's actions and they ought to check up on their whereabouts and what they were doing.

He added: "I would urge parents to take better care of their children. They must be giving them money or be aware that their children are coming home in an intoxicated condition. I would urge parents to question their children about where they have been."

Inspector Platt said police regularly carried out test purchasing at off-licences in the borough, but children often got adults to buy their alcohol for them.

He said: "I am happy that the vast majority of off-licences are acting very responsibly, which is shown by the sheer number of test purchasing we have done here. We visited 10 off-licences recently and not one of them sold to our under-age tester.