Almost a quarter of parents let their under-age children drink alcohol while away with them on holiday, according to a poll.

Some even allow offspring as young as 10 or 11 to have alcohol on a break, the survey by travel agent www.sunshine.co.uk found.

And 21 per cent of parents of under-age children who have drunk abroad said their child became intoxicated.

The main reason given for allowing youngsters to drink was “because they’re on holiday”.

A number of indulgent parents also said they thought it was legal for children to drink in some countries.

While 23 per cent of the 1,119 parents polled said they allowed their under-age children to drink abroad, as many as 52 per cent said they would not let them have alcohol at home.

Of those parents allowing holiday drinking, four per cent let children aged 10 and 11 have alcohol and 26 per cent permitted 12 to 13-year-olds to drink.

Sunshine.co.uk co-founder Chris Brown said: “Parents that let their under-age children drink alcohol on holiday because they think it’s legal should be careful. While many bars and restaurants in resorts abroad are more lenient when it comes to ID, you should check the relevant drinking laws in the country you are visiting, because you might find it isn’t actually legal.

“As for those allowing their children to have an alcohol drink for a quiet life, they really need to ensure their child is safe and with them at all times. Being drunk in a foreign country, particularly under age, is not safe, nor is it something we would recommend.”