Pupils, 12, get ‘plonked’ on wine meant for Christmas tombola

A SCHOOL has been slammed for allowing three students to get “plonked” on bottles of wine meant to be prizes at a Christmas tombola.

The pupils, aged just 12, had been given the booze by their parents to take to school, but decided drinking the wine would be more fun.

The tipsy trio opened the wine and downed it on their way to St Osmund's Middle School in Dorchester, Dorset.

The incident has sparked a row about whether kids should be allowed to take alcohol to school for Christmas fayres.

A number of British schools rely on parents and other well-wishers to donate alcohol and other gifts as tombola and prizes for fundraising events.

But one St Osmund’s mum – whose child was not one of the tipsy trio caught “plonked”  and promptly suspended – said it was “irresponsible” to let the kids bring the wine in the first place.

She said: "It puts temptation in their way - they wouldn't be allowed to buy wine or other alcohol in shops so why does the school think it's OK for them to be handed it for the school fayre?

"Surely it should have been made clear that the parents should bring in the alcohol, not expect their children to take it to school.

"For some children, being handed wine like that must have made them think all their Christmases had come at once."

Speaking out on parents’ criticism of the request, head teacher Jim Williams said: "I can confirm that there was an incident that took place on Friday, December 2nd, the day of the Christmas fayre, when pupils were asked to bring in donations for the tombola.

"In accordance with school policy, the school dealt with the matter immediately."

Dorset County Council’s education department declined to comment on the incident.

The news comes following the release of government statistics which revealed minors in Dorset are more prone to underage drinking than those in the rest of the nation.

According to the government survey, released last year, 71 per cent of 15-year-olds in Dorset have consumed booze – significantly higher than the 62 per cent average for England as a whole.

They wouldn't be allowed to buy wine or other alcohol in shops so why does the school think it's OK?

St Osmund's Mum

The county also has a higher percentage of regular underage drinkers – 16.6 per cent of 15-year-olds told researchers they had had a drink in the past four weeks, compared to just 14.6 per cent for England.

The data, funded by the Department of Health and collated by the Health and Social Care Information Centre alongside Ipsos Mori and the National Children’s Bureau, asked thousands of youngsters a series of questions about their health and wellbeing.

The survey aimed to help local authorities improve young peoples’ health.

According to the NHS, drinking under the age of 14 is associated with a number of health risks including increased chance of injury, violence and depression.

Drinking under the legal age can also influence the development of vital organs and the way they function, including the brain, liver, bones and hormones.

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