Anxiety drug Xanax is being used by children as young as 11 with charities claiming some youngsters are dealing it on school premises, an investigation alleges.

Headteachers are warning children are not understanding the risks associated with Xanax, the brand name for the drug Alprazolam, which is used to treat anxiety and panic attacks and is widely prescribed in the US.

But there are concerns it is being abused in the UK, after the BBC said it had seen letters from head teachers raising concerns over the abuse of such medications.

The corporation said it had figures showing that in 2017, there were 240 ambulance call outs for Xanax abuse by children aged 11 to 18. A paediatrician also said she’d treated children abusing the drug.