A recent survey of over 1,000 British parents showed that one in three would buy alcohol for their underage teenage offspring.

Some 35 per cent of parents made the admission when questioned by alcohol delivery service Booze Up. Reasons why they would provide alcohol to their teenagers include; ‘Better from me than someone unknown’, ‘‘So I can keep an eye on what they drink’ and ‘To stay in control of how much they drink’.

Principal Owner at Booze Up, Ashleigh Fletcher said: “Not only is buying alcohol for someone under the age of 18 against the law, it could also unintentionally be putting your child at risk.”

“If drank in excess, alcohol can cause: alcohol poisoning, slower reactions, slower thought processes and risk taking behaviour.”

Partner at Booze Up, Darren Sawyer continued: “Those underage teens that are caught with alcohol in a public place could also face a social contract, a fine or arrest. Every parent wants the best for their child, but getting a criminal record could affect future job opportunities.”

In the survey, 27 per cent of parents shared that they had previously been asked by their children to purchase alcohol for them and 13 per cent admitted that they caved under the pressure in the last six months.

Parents also explained that their children had used a number of statements when asking them to buy alcohol, with the most popular statement being ‘Everyone else’s parents buy it’.

Other findings from the research include: Mums were more likely to buy their teenagers alcohol over Dads and those parents living in Wales were most likely to buy their underage children alcohol over other parts of the UK.