POLICE say teenagers as young as 13 are risking their lives with the potentially deadly craze of sniffing gas lighter fluid.

Officers in Malmesbury have received reports in the last three weeks that youngsters are inhaling vapours from lighter fluid openly in the High Street.

Children have also attempted to buy the fluid in the shops.

Police say they believe shops in the town have not been illegally selling solvents to people under 18 but are concerned that adults may be buying the fluid and passing it on to youngsters.

PC Martin Alvis of Malmesbury Police said they have had concerned parents contacting the station.

"It is very worrying," he said. "It is not something that we have been aware of for quite some years since the craze in early 80s and 90s."

He warned that anybody buying substances for those under age were breaking the law.

"People are buying for the young and it is offence to buy solvents on behalf of somebody else."

A spokesman for the Co-operative Group which owns Alldays on the High Street said staff are trained to check the age of those buying age restricted goods.

She said: "The shop will have a refit on June 5 and new technology will be installed with till prompts to remind staff to check a buyer's age when an age restricted good is purchased.

"Staff are trained to ask for proof of age, if they are in any doubt at all the consumer is under age. If proof of age is not provided the transaction will not be continued."

"We cannot control what happens to any product once it has been purchased and taken off the premises, however we are happy to work with the police on this issue."

There have been reports of teenagers sniffing substances at the bridge behind Somerfields and beside the Flying Monk playing fields and at Conygre Mead.

PC Alvis said anyone who sees anybody acting in a suspicious way should report them to the police.