A PRIEST has renewed an appeal for bottles of home brew whisky -- given out by mistake as prizes at a church tombola -- to be returned or disposed of.

The Canada Dry and Spar-own label bottles were given out at St Anne's Church Christmas Fair at the church school hall in Feilden Street, Blackburn, on December 2.

It was thought the bottles contained non-alcoholic ginger ale but it was discovered that they contained home brew whisky and the word whisky was handwritten on the label.

After the fair a warning was issued but none of the five bottles has been returned.

Father Jim McCartney, who runs THOMAS -- which stands for Those on the Margins of Society -- a project targeting the vulnerable people including recovering alcoholics, said: " "It would be worthwhile reminding people again to either return or dispose of these bottles.

"Hopefully everyone who got one has done so but you never know."

Blackburn's Community Alcohol Team warned parents that if their child drank a "significant amount" of the brew then they should be taken to casualty or to their GP to be monitored.

Trading Standards in Blackburn advised people to clearly mark any home brew which is stored in anything other than an original container.