Crackdown on young boozers

The massive haul of booze was collected from children and young people who were caught drinking in public places in the Heworth area and was taken back to the police station, in Fulford Road.

The operation to tackle alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in the area was run by the local neighbourhood policing team.

Two parents were also fined for buying booze for their kids as part of the operation, which was led by Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Annie Simpson.

Inspector Richard Anderson, neighbourhood policing inspector for the North of York, said: "Police officers and PCSOs have a power to seize alcohol from people under 18 in the street and dispose of it. We take this issue very seriously.

"As a result of the operation, two parents have each been given an £80 fixed penalty fine for buying alcohol for their children.

"In the region of 200 cans and bottles of alcohol were seized from children and youths.

"The operation was aimed at cutting down on antisocial behaviour in the south Heworth area."

A total of about 35 hours of officer patrol time were spent on the operation, which involved several of the increasing numbers of PCSOs who are now working in the Heworth ward.

Antisocial behaviour has been named as one of the things residents most want to see tackled in the area.

Last year, a dispersal zone in the area, which was set up to tackle antisocial behaviour, led to an 18 per cent reduction in crime.

Under the scheme, police were given the power to order groups of youths to move on.

Police in Ryedale are also targeting underage drinkers and confiscating their booze as part of a campaign to make communities safer.

Neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs are cracking down on under-18s caught with alcohol, as part of the Changing Lives, Making Communities Safer campaign. They are being equipped with alcohol test strips, which can be dipped into any liquid to find out whether it contains alcohol.