SCOTTISH teachers union EIS called on Holyrood yesterday to ban the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to under-16s following unequivocal support from delegates at its annual conference in Perth on Saturday.

Edinburgh delegate Alison Thornton said she and her colleagues frequently saw their pupils guzzling energy drinks — sometimes instead of a proper breakfast.

The volatile combination of sugar and caffeine on a child’s brain chemistry was a surefire recipe for disruption in the classroom, she said.