A COLLEGE has come under fire from parents and anti-smoking campaigners after staff allowed a group of teenage students to smoke during a trip abroad.

More than 200 youngsters from Northallerton College went on a skiing trip to Austria during the Easter holidays.

A group of 16 students, aged 15 and 16 - who are not legally allowed to buy tobacco - were given the go-ahead to smoke cigarettes under the supervision of staff.

The incident came to light after a student told her parents.

"We thought she was joking, we could not believe it," said the girl's father, who has asked not to be identified. "She told us a teacher had stood with them while they smoked, which makes it worse.

"Teachers should be setting an example, not encouraging such a dangerous habit."

College principal Mick Hill declined to name the staff who made the decision, but admitted they had made a mistake.

He said: "Two students disappeared to smoke and staff considered it safer, rather than have students putting themselves at risk by going off on their own, to allow them to smoke with a supervisor. It was the wrong decision."

The girl's father said he and his wife were considering taking their daughter, a year ten pupil at the college, to another school.

He said: "We would have never known about this if she had not told us. She had been in trouble for smoking the odd cigarette before she went on the trip.

"By being allowed to smoke for the entire week she was away, she could have got addicted.

"It is no good leaving school with eight GCSEs and lung cancer."

Mr Hill said that staff would be spoken to.

He said: "These staff are receiving advice and guidance on what would have been the right decision to take in these circumstances. There was no question over the students' safety on this trip.

"A poor judgement was made over this issue, and I have taken steps to deal with that.

"We do not condone smoking or allow it anywhere on our site. That includes not allowing staff to stand outside college buildings and smoke."

Meanwhile, the girl's father called for staff to face tougher disciplinary action.

He said: "I do not wish to see anybody lose their jobs, but I think they should face a formal warning."

The legal age for buying tobacco was raised from 16 to 18 in October last year.

Amanda Sandford, a spokeswoman for Action on Smoking and Health, an anti-smoking charity, said teachers had neglected their duty of care to pupils.

She said: "Condoning smoking is simply unacceptable. The teachers had these children in their care.

"The cigarettes should have been confiscated immediately, as they would have been in school.

"Although it is not illegal for children of 15 and 16 to smoke, it is something teachers should be actively discouraging.

"The college should apologise. To simply say it is the wrong decision is not going far enough.

"The college should look to reassure parents that the implications of smoking will be emphasised to students."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council said the local education authority was satisfied the school had acted in the correct manner following the incident.