Tackling young people's drinking pt88

• Shopkeepers across Scotland who are suspected of selling booze to under-age drinkers will be the subject of sting operations. New laws came into force today which give the police power to use schoolchildren below the age of 18 in an attempt to catch rogue traders. John Farrell, head of licensing at Strathclyde Police, warned: "This is an operational tool we will certainly be using in our fight to ensure the well being of communities." Evening Times

 

• Lancashire: Police in Darwen have seized 79 bottles of beer, 80 cans of lager, 12 bottles of cider, six bottles of vodka and other alcohol from young people in recent weeks. And most of it was taken from youngsters in Sunnyhurst Woods. One 18-year-old had to be rescued from the river running through the woods and taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital after falling in while he was drunk on March 31.  The Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods are now joining police on the patrols, which will take place every night this week.  Lancashire Telegraph

• Burnley: Police arrested two teenagers and seized 100 litres of alcohol in a crackdown on underage drinking. Two 16-year-olds were arrested for a public order offence on Friday night in the Towneley Park area, Burnley, and were reprimanded for their behaviour. Officers also confiscated 53 cans of lager, 52 bottles of cider, two bottles of vodka and eight bottles of alcopops from youths on the same night.

Burnley Wood with Rosehill beat manager John Fisher said: "I would like to warn youths and their parents that extra patrols are now in operation in this area of Burnley and firm action will be taken by officers against anyone involved in under-age drinking or acting in an anti-social manner. "The extra patrols are just one tactic we are using to address community concerns about anti-social behaviour - other action is also being taken including the closure and boarding up of buildings used by teenage drinkers. "We are also carrying out test purchasing at off-licences."  The Citizen

• Fife: Hundreds of litres of confiscated alcohol were disposed of yesterday as part of a crackdown on youth disorder. Fife police officers poured away a total of 234 litres of alcohol at Scottish Water's waste transfer station in Cowdenbeath. The alcohol will be treated by Scottish Water, diluted and made safe.  The recycling operation followed Fife Police's month-long campaign, Time2Act, to crack down on youth disorder, antisocial behaviour and underage drinking.

Police officers from across Fife returned 131 young people to their parents after they were found on the streets drinking. It was the bottles and cans taken from them which were disposed of yesterday at Cowdenbeath.  The Herald

• Norwich: Families who live near an under-age drinking den today welcomed new powers that help police and trading standards officers tackle anti-social behaviour. Doreen Cochrane, 59, and Robert Raven, 50, both of St Stephen's Square, in the centre of Norwich, have had to put up with long-standing drunken, foul-mouthed behaviour near their homes. They hope new powers to prevent children from getting hold of alcohol, tobacco and fireworks will mean a more peaceful neighbourhood.

Mrs Cochrane, a grandmother-of-three, said: “We're sick and tired of the amount of under-age drinking that goes on in front of our homes."  Pubs and off-licences which repeatedly break the law by selling items to under age people have now been warned they could be shut down. It is hoped the new legislation, which targets the sale of alcohol, tobacco, solvents, fireworks and knives to young people, will help reduce anti-social behaviour.

Police will have the right to close or restrict trading for up to 48 hours if a business persistently sells illegal items to children. This could then be extended for up to three months if the shop owner is convicted. The new legislation comes under the auspices of the Violent Crime Act 2006. Other restrictions will see an increase in the age for tobacco buying from 16 to 18.  Evening News