Teenager survey confirms parents' fears

PARENTS' worries about what teenagers get up to on their own were justified yesterday by a survey showing that more than 80 per cent went to parties at homes where the adults were away.

Nearly half reported that floor coverings had been damaged while they were having a good time, closely followed by broken ornaments, chipped furniture and smashed windows.

The survey, by Yellow Pages, found that although two-thirds of parents were prepared to leave their children in charge of the family home, nearly half worried about what went on. Security was the greatest concern: more than a third of parents thought their house would be left unlocked; 12 per cent dreaded neighbours' complaints; while 11 per cent feared damage to furniture.