Booze blitz on kids is alarming
Swindon Advertiser
www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk
6th March 2008
By Hayley Court
POLICE in Wootton Bassett are resorting to shock tactics in an attempt to make parents aware of just how much their children are drinking. It comes after more than 80 pints of alcohol were confiscated from children as young as 14 in just three days.

Neat vodka, peach schnapps and a five-litre keg of lager were among the haul that will be poured away today.

Underage drinking is also leading to other crimes such as a spate of graffiti vandalism, which police are currently investigating in Lyneham.

The site of Lyneham's former Naafi in Preston Lane has been daubed with graffiti and bus shelters smashed by drunken youths.

Police community support officer Andy Singfield said the problem was getting out of hand. "This isn't just a cheeky can of beer in your bedroom, this is an example of children who are barely in their teens getting paralytic on the streets of Wootton Bassett and Lyneham," he said.

"I don't think parents are aware - they can't keep tabs on them 24/7 but we want to illustrate the volume of alcohol being consumed by children."

In January, the police launched a zero-tolerance policy on drinkers, handing out £80 on-the-spot fines to older children who were supplying younger ones with alcohol.

"In the end it is obvious that it's not really worth it because you've forked out for alcohol, been fined for dishing it out and drinking it and then have it confiscated and destroyed," said PCSO Singfield.

PCSO Singfield said underage drinking in Wootton Bassett and Lyneham was just the tip of the iceberg. "It's what the drinking leads to that is the real issue," he said.

"We even had to take a 16-year-old girl home last week because she was so drunk she started kicking bins in Wootton Bassett High Street."

Officers are resorting to dishing out dispersal orders that ban drunken youngsters from certain areas of the town for up to 48 hours. Younger children are also subject to a three strikes and you're out' scheme where letters are sent to their parents and if they re-offend they may face a magistrate.

PC Brown, who patrols Lyneham and the surrounding villages with the support of Ministry of Defence Police officers, said it was more important than ever that parents knew what their kids were up to. He said: "We are not tarring all children with the same brush but we are urging parents to reinforce what is and is not acceptable behaviour.

"Youth crime accounts for a lot of police time in Lyneham especially, so we want you to tell us who's wrecking your neighbourhood.

"Anyone who sees any anti-social behaviour being carried out can and should call us. We are working hard to improve the area for its residents and with that help, we can achieve it faster."

To report anti-social behaviour in and around Lyneham, contact PC Brown on 07776 493164.