A liver specialist has warned about the dangers of excess alcohol over the festive period as he revealed youngsters as young as 12 were being treated for the effects of binge drinking.

Bradford has up to 25,000 highly dependent drinkers and up to 120,000 drinking harmfully, according to Dr Paul Southern, a consultant hepatologist at Bradford’s Royal Infirmary.

He warned against the “pocket money alcohol business” and said he had seen people in their twenties die on his ward from liver disease caused by irresponsible drinking.

He said that youngsters as young as 12 were being seen by medics after drinking too much before their livers were fully formed.

He said: “NHS alcohol guidance released is now applicable to those aged 12 through to 60-year-olds, illustrating that alcohol and its devastating effects are not just affecting those slumped on street corners.

“It affects a whole spectrum of people.”

Dr Southern said that many people in their 20s die because of liver damage, with the biggest increase in the young female population.

But in the past month, people in their 20s, 30s and 40s have died because of the havoc wreaked on their body.

“It is a massive sea change and is very hard for us,” he added. “You sit with the family in intensive care and say there is nothing more we can do.

“It is an absolute battle out there and I think I agree there is only one single effective deterrent and that is taxation.

“In Bradford we have a higher deprivation index and a lot of people are turning to alcohol.”

Bradford South Licensing Officer PC Su Dawson said police undertake regular test purchase operations on off-licence premises throughout Bradford using specifically vetted volunteers who look under the age of 18.

“In addition, we deploy adults to make proxy test purchase visits to ensure they are not able to pick up alcohol on behalf of children,” she added.

She warned parents that they needed to realise their role and responsibilities in preventing children from accessing alcohol.