Police are urging adults not to buy children alcohol after two boys broke into a sports pavilion and set off fire extinguishers.

The two boys, aged 13 and 14, had been standing outside a supermarket in East Grinstead badgering customers to buy them alcohol.

A couple relented and bought them some Budweiser and later on Saturday evening the boys broke into the pavilion in East Crescent.

PC Richard Shakesheff said: "I would urge people not to purchase alcohol on behalf of underage drinkers as they are committing an offence themselves and will be charged.

"They had only drunk two or three bottles each but you could see from the boys' size and age it would have affected them quite quickly.

"I have got the CCTV footage from the town. I have seen this particular couple but unfortunately they paid in cash but we are trying to trace them."

PC Shakesheff said the sports pavilion had recently been the target of numerous break-ins and incidences of criminal damage.

He said they were working closely with Mid Sussex District Council, which owned the building, to make it more secure.

He said: "When they boys broke in they set off numerous fire extinguishers and the fire alarm which alerted us.

"I managed to run up the fields and catch them. They told me after they thought I was chasing a dog and not them at first.

"They have been bailed while we make further inquiries.

The actual offence the boys committed is burglary and it is very serious."

PC Shakesheff said there was no specific operation to target underage drinkers in East Grinstead although he and the other community beat officers were seizing alcohol from young people.

He said the hardest part was catching the people who bought alcohol for them because it often occurred out of sight.

He said: "I used to be in Dorset and we had the same problem there. People just seem to give in.

"They don't see the connection between buying the alcohol and the problems it can cause such as criminal damage, assault and underage sex.

"These were two nice lads who were diverted into a incident.

"They have never been in trouble before."