Teen alarm should 'buzz off'

A high-pitched sonic device hailed as the perfect weapon to disperse unruly teenagers should be banned because it demonises young people, the children's watchdog said on Tuesday.

Al Aynsley-Green, Children's Commissioner for England, has launched a "Buzz Off" campaign to scrap the Mosquito, a gadget that emits a piercing noise only detectable by the sharp ears of the young.

"These devices are indiscriminate and target all children and young people, including babies, regardless of whether they are behaving or misbehaving," he said in a statement.

"The use of measures such as these is simply demonising children and young people, creating a dangerous and widening divide between the young and the old."