A BINGE drinking epidemic has fuelled a rise of almost a third in the number of people being taken to hospital due to alcohol.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital admitted 394 people for alcohol-related conditions between January and November 2007 - compared with 304 the previous year.

The figures include those admitted for alcohol dependency and those admitted through the hospital's accident and emergency unit.

Cathy Lakin, a senior nurse from the emergency care team at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, said public holidays and New Year were busy times for emergency care teams.

"Often people will drink far more than they are used to drinking and their behaviour and susceptibility to injury will be different," said Ms Lakin.

And she added that alcohol created a range of physical dangers for the drinker, including sudden collapse.

"Alcohol can make you more vulnerable to a variety of accidents or untoward events - falls, cuts, and assaults," said Ms Lakin.

Brian Kennedy, a senior charge nurse from Poole Hospital's Accident and Emergency unit, said staff numbers for New Year's Eve had been increased by a third.

"Patients pour in when the clock strikes twelve," said Mr Kennedy. "We get problems with people misbehaving and more of it at this time of year," he said.

But he said staff in Poole's accident and emergency unit did not have it as bad as staff in other hospitals.

"We don't get the amount of abuse or violence that staff at an inner city hospital would get," he said.

He added that supermarket sales of alcohol had created more work for Poole's emergency care unit than changes to pub opening hours.

"We get a lot of people who buy drink from supermarkets and drink at home before going to the pub," said Mr Kennedy.

He said youngsters drinking in the bus station and the park also created problems.

More than 500 people a day across England are admitted to hospital after drinking too much.

Over New Year accident and emergency departments were busy dealing with the aftermath of people's excessive drinking.

Sister Heather Ramsden from Poole Hospital said yesterday: "We have been very busy and there were lots of alcohol-related incidents and quite a few assaults."