CAMPAIGNERS have blasted the so-called soft sentence given to Britain's youngest drink-driver, who was 12 when she was stopped.

Now aged 13, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a 12-month supervision order.

She was also banned for two years, after admitting being boozed up behind the wheel.

Yesterday, Newbury youth court heard that the youngster was almost twice the legal limit when she took her father's Vauxhall Corsa after gulping back bottles of strong lager and vodka-based drink at a family party in Swindon.

Safety groups have been left stunned by the girl's case, saying magistrates should have given her a stiffer punishment.

Roadsafe member Vicky Byrne, 59, of Walcot, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed while travelling with a drink-driver, criticised the sentence handed to the youngster.

She said: "It is ridiculous. It should have been a 10-year ban. At the very least it should have been five.

"This girl still won't be legal to drive when the ban finishes. So I believe that she hasn't been properly punished for her actions."

Carole Whittingham, of the Campaign Against Drink-Driving, said she was appalled at the sentence.

"I think the law needs to be overhauled. This has not set an example to others. It is too soft.

"She will think she's got away with it because the two-year ban does not affect her as she will only be 15 and unable to drive when it ends.

"I think the ban should have been deferred until she is eligible for a licence. I think it's sad that a girl as young as this feels the need to drink to excess."

Inspector Wayne Smith, of Swindon Police, said it was the lucky the girl was not involved in a serious accident.

"A car is a lethal weapon," he said.

"It's hard enough to drive when you are sober so it's lucky that someone who was inexperienced, not very big, had no practical experience and was under the influence did not seriously hurt herself or others."

Outside the court, the teenager's solicitor Mike Pulsford said her family were trying to put the incident behind them.

"They are trying to make her understand how her behaviour is affecting other people's safety," he said.

"They are being supportive and have vowed to watch her more closely."

Lindsey Bass, of the West Berkshire Youth Offending Team, said they could not comment on individual cases.

But she said there was a range of support services that have been put in place to help young criminals.

"We have very close links with drugs and education agency in order to help them address the causes of their offending," she said.

Ben Payne