Two boys in their early teens were spoken to by police and needed medical attention after being found drunk in Bath city centre when they were supposed to be back in school for the first day of term.
A concerned member of the public contacted officers after spotting the schoolboys in Orange Grove at around 1pm on Monday afternoon.
The pair, who police say were around 13 or 14 years old, had been drinking wine and had been sick.
Police Community Support Officers and paramedics spoke to the boys and then made contact with their school and their parents.
One of them was taken to the Royal United Hospital and arrangements were made for the other one to be taken home.
Police are now investigating where the alcohol came from and if it was sold to the underage boys from a city shop.
A statement from the school, which the Chronicle has decided not to name, said the pupils were being dealt with.
It said: "We are disappointed by the activities of two of our students in Bath on Monday lunchtime and in no way condone their actions.
"The school has initiated disciplinary procedures in relation to this matter and will work with parents and external agencies to ensure that such an incident does not happen again."
Bath and North East Somerset Council, Avon and Somerset Police and NHS B&NES runs an education programme about alcohol awareness at schools across the area.
Figures published back in 2011 showed that more than one in eight 11 to 15-year-olds in the Bath area were classed as frequent users of drugs or alcohol.
Some 12.9 per cent of young teenagers admitted to having been drunk, taken illegal drugs or abused substances such as glue or lighter fuel at least twice in a four-week period.
This was higher than the national average of 9.8 per cent.
