POLICE in Central Scotland yesterday began disposing of hundreds of bottles of alcohol seized from children as young as 12 in the last three months.

As gallons of Buckfast, cheap cider, and Hooch were poured down the drains, Deputy Chief Constable Mike Currie sent a stark warning to parents.

He said: ''This is where your children's pocket money is going, poured away on drink.''

Producing four shopping trolleys containing just some of the bottles and cans taken from children roaming the streets of Central Scotland, the police hailed new powers, which allowed them to seize alcohol, as a great success.

Bottles of Buckfast and Merrydown cider top the popularity polls, with lager and Hooch coming a close second. There were even bottles of extra strong vodka.

From August this year, police have been able, under the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act, 1997, to take any containers of alcohol found on children under the age of 18.

The children are cautioned at the scene and their parents informed of the incident. In some cases, if the alcohol is in an open container, police pour it out in front of the youngsters.

However, despite cautioning nearly 400 children aged between 12 and 17 in the last three months and seizing thousands of pounds worth of alcohol, police admit the problem shows little sign of going away. Nightly tours, especially in the main towns of Stirling, Denny, and Grangemouth, turn up gangs of children attempting to get a high from cheap alcohol.

To the police officers, it is more a case of taking away the liquor which could cause damage that night, than deterring the children from trying it again.

The worry for police is the appearance of strong liquor - vodka and fortified wine - in their nightly hauls. Children are mixing them with lager to improve the flavour - and potency - with often disastrous consequences.

Police say there have been a number of occasions when they have taken youngsters to hospital unconscious with drink.