NEARLY two thirds of Lancashire's nine to 13 year olds have experimented with alcohol - and at least 15 per cent drink every week, a shock survey has revealed.

And children said the most common reason for drinking was because fruit-flavoured alcopops, which have an alcohol content similar to strong lager, taste so nice.

Shocked MPs today called for tighter controls on the drinks industry as alcohol workers said excessive drinking was contributing to the area's high rate of teenage pregnancies.

Telecommunications watchdog OFCOM has proposed a tightening-up on alcohol advertising to protect children. But today the drinks industry denied alcopops were to blame for high levels of child drinking.

The figures were revealed in a Lancashire County Council survey of 838 school pupils carried out in July - including children from Heasandford Primary, Burnley, and Woodnook County Primary, Accrington.

It is feared the true figures may be much higher as many children who took part avoided answering detailed questions about alcohol.

Police in Blackburn with Darwen, which were not included in the survey, said the results reflected the situation in their area, where there is a problem with underage drinkers congregating at weekends.

The survey revealed:

l Sixty three per cent of children had experimented with alcohol and 15 per cent admitted drinking every week

l The average age children first experimented with alcohol was 10

l Nearly 20 per cent admitted they had done something stupid or embarrassing when they had drunk alcohol

l Nearly 10 per cent admitted to having been sick as a result

l At least six per cent admitted drinking every day or every few days

l The average amount of alcohol consumed has doubled in 10 years to 10.4 units per week -- half the recommended level for adult men

l Typical answers when children were asked why they liked alcopops included: "Alcopops taste better than normal pop" and: "Alcopops have different flavours that you don't get in non-alcoholic drinks."

l Another common response was: "It's cool and it makes you feel grown up" and "everybody does it."

While most children admitted to drinking alcohol, the 37 per cent who did not said it was because of the impact on their health.

Most children said they mainly drunk at home but the most popular place to drink alcohol for children aged 10-13 was at the park.

The survey was part of Lancashire County Council's social action alcohol awareness campaign funded by the government.

Alcohol project worker Catherine Wistowsky, who oversaw the research, said: "Alcopops are behind why children are drinking younger and peer pressure is starting younger. We want to educate children on how to say no.

"We have a high teenage pregnancy rate in the UK and most people have their first sexual experience under the influence of alcohol, so parents giving children under 13 alcohol is not a good idea.

"There is a strong link between parental attitudes to alcohol and underage drinking. We need to educate parents and also look to targeting the under 10s before they formulate their ideas and attitudes in regard to alcohol use."

Elaine Michel, public health specialist at East Lancashire Public Health Network, said there were a great number of major health issues for children starting to drink earlier.

She said: "This reflects the national problem we are faced with. For starters their educational performance will be affected which in turn will affect their life chances. It has been proven that the healthier you are the better you do at school and teenagers are suffering from more mental health problems than ever before which can be linked to alcohol.

"If their behaviour continues, and they drink to excess as an adult, they will face major health problems such a strokes and heart attacks possibly at an earlier age."

MP for Hyndburn Greg Pope said: "The drinks industry needs to take more responsibly. If something is targeted at the younger end of the legal drinking scale it is inevitable it will overlap. Ideally we would like to get the industry on side but as a final measure stricter rules may have to be introduced."

He suggested money made from sales of alcopops could be put back into research on the effects of alcohol on children. Burnley MP Peter Pike added: "I am surprised at the figures and it is obvious that tighter regulations need to be considered.

"It is something that worries me when we approach possible changes to the licensing laws."

Parents in East Lancashire were shocked at the news their children could be drinking as young as nine.

Simone Thomson, 24, of Morley Avenue, Blackburn, has four children aged from two-and-a-half months to 14 years. She said: "A bit at Christmas never hurt anyone but drinking at nine years old is terrible."

And Angus Brade, 41, of Bury Lane, Withnell, said: "I'd be gutted if my 13-year-old drank without my consent. I let her have a glass of wine with me occasionally, but that is it."

And Clare Snocks, 24, of Brookway, Blackburn, said: "My nine-year-old definitely doesn't drink. They are too young to be interested at that age surely. It is shocking I won't be giving her any for a long time yet. "

Cheryl Yates, 22 of Lynwood Avenue, Darwen, said: "It doesn't surprise me, because you see kids hanging around at night in town centres and they're getting younger."

OFCOM had proposed improved guidelines, suggesting outlawing the use of animals, animation or celebrities to curb the appeal of drinks to under 18s. Research found as many as 86 per cent of current alcohol adverts would fail to meet the new criteria, introduced in the spring.

David Poley, director of compliance and good practice at the Portman Group, the self regulatory group for the alcohol and drinks industry, said underage sales of alcohol were falling and the marketing of alcopops was not to blame.

He said: "If kids were not drinking alcopops they would be drinking cider. We can't blame alcopops for a culture change.

"All drinks have to be regulated on how they are marketed and if anyone felt they were not then I would want them to report it to us."

And Quentin Rappoport director at Wine and Spirits Association, representing producers of alcoholic drinks, said : "While the products themselves are not to blame we need to make sure any advertising doesn't inadvertently attract underage groups. The industry doesn't want to make its money from kids."