The biggest binge drinking girls

It's now official: Teenage girls in the UK are the biggest binge drinkers in Europe, an official report has revealed.

The UK department of health report, based on the European School Survey project of 2007, showed that 55% of girls in Britain consumed five or more drinks at least once a month.

The figure makes them the most likely to binge drink in Europe, followed by those in Portugal, Malta and Estonia. The report also showed that binge drinking among British boys is also high at 52%, but this is surpassed by 62% in Malta, and 60% in Latvia.

On an average, British teenagers are the fifth most likely in Europe to admit binge drinking.

The department of health has now submitted the report to a Commons committee inquiry, warning that young adults who drink to excess are more likely to be involved in crime. The report said: "The UK is consistently in the top five European countries for binge drinking and drunkenness among school children."