The number of children being admitted to adult psychiatric wards has seen a "huge increase" in the past five years, new figures have shown.

Figures obtained by Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon from a Parliamentary Question showed the number of children under 16 being admitted to adult wards had risen by 21% since 2005.

And the number of teenagers between the age of 16 and 18 rose by 23% in the same period.

Thirty-seven under 16s and twenty-two 17 to 18-year-olds were admitted to adult wards in 2005-2006.

But there were 92 children of both ages admitted between 2009 and 2010.

Monitoring children admitted to adult wards only began with the introduction of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in October 2005, so the figures only cover a six-month period from October 2005 to March 31 2006.

Ms Scanlon called on the government to take action on the findings, saying they were "shocking".

She said: "Among the proposals of the Mental Health Act 2003 there was a commitment to reduce the number of children being treated in adult psychiatric wards, as this was not the appropriate setting for young children for the care and treatment they needed.

"It is therefore shocking that the SNP have failed on this commitment made to children in Scotland with mental health problems and have allowed the figure to rise to 92 children aged 0-16 and 92 teenagers aged 17-18.

"There was a commitment by all parties in the Scottish Parliament to treat young children with the respect and dignity they deserve in our National Health Service and there was agreement across the political divide that children in adult psychiatric wards should be a thing of the past.

"Unfortunately when the numbers should have been reducing these figures reveal an increase of 21% between 2006 and 2010 in the number of children 16 and under being admitted and an increase of 23% over the same period of teenagers between 17 and 18 years of age being admitted to adult psychiatric wards.

"The Scottish Government should now outline what action they intend to take to ensure that there is a reduction in children being placed in adult psychiatric wards as promised by the Scottish Parliament in the Mental Health Act."