Under-age drinking prompts warning.

UNDER-age drinking was again a cause for concern in Exmouth as hundreds of people flocked to the town to enjoy the Bank Holiday sun and festivities.Two section 27 dispersal orders were issued on Friday after under-16s were found with alcohol in The Strand, writes Graham Britton. And, on Sunday, a drunken girl had to be treated by paramedics after she collapsed in The Maer. A spokesperson for Exmouth's ambulance station said the 16-year-old's condition improved and she did not need to be taken to hospital.Similar to the May Day weekend earlier this month, when 30 litres of cider, more than 50 bottles of lager, and spirits were seized, police confiscated more alcohol from youths. A disappointed Cllr Darryl Nicholas, the newly-appointed mayor for Exmouth, said: "We need to look at how and why it is happening and what additional measures can be taken to reduce the problem - in particular, those that are leading to anti-social behaviour and upsetting responsible residents." Meanwhile, adult shoppers have been warned not to buy alcohol for under-age drinkers or they risk being hit with an �80 fine.A police spokesperson said the two 16-year-old girls who were punished last Friday had obtained the drink from homeless people, aged over 18, who offered to purchase it for them. PC Nick Southern, neighbourhood team leader, said anyone who knows adults who buy alcohol for people under age should report it to the police.He warned that, if 'proxy buying' - adults purchasing alcohol for under-age drinkers - continued to be a problem, measures could be implemented which would make the act an arrestable offence.PC Southern said an 18-year-old male who bought alcohol for two under-age drinkers in Exmouth town centre was fined �80 earlier this month. "If you are asked to buy alcohol for people under 18, it is an offence which incurs an �80 fine. It's a very difficult issue for the shops and for us," he added.