Bexhill youths caught underage drinking in police crackdown

Several police officers and six Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) went around town for several hours.

The intention of this operation was to target those selling the alcohol to persons under 18, those buying it on behalf of someone under the age of 18 and those who were under 18 and buying it.

The crackdown started at 5pm and within an hour a group of youths were stopped in Egerton Park.

A small amount of cannabis was found nearby but there was insufficient evidence to identify who it belonged to so it was taken to the police station for disposal. The youths were searched but no cannabis was found.

At around 7pm a group of girls under 18 were spotted in Sackville Road with bottles of wine.

Two of them ran off when the police arrived.

One of the girls, aged 15, who had been drinking, was taken home to her family.

An hour later a group of 14 and 15-year-old boys were found in the skate park in Down Road drinking lager and were taken home to their parents.

At 9.30pm in Devonshire Road another group of teenage boys were found, two aged 14 and one aged 16 in possession of cans of lager and admitted they were drinking.

The parents of the 14-year-olds were contacted and came to collect them.

A police spokesman said: "In total 26 youths under the age of 18 were stopped either in possession of or suspected of having been in possession of alcohol.

"Parents of these children were very supportive towards the police and were concerned as to the behaviour of their son or daughter.

"Only one of the youths returned home was seen back in Bexhill within 10 minutes.

"The 15-year-old girl who bought the wine for the group of girls in Sackville Road has been identified and has been to the police station for an interview with her mother. She was using fake ID to buy the alcohol.

"One of the youths taken home from the skate park stated that he approached a man in his late 20s outside a shop that sold alcohol, asking him to purchase the lager for him.

"This is a common practice with children and those who buy the alcohol are committing an offence for which they can be arrested."

Shops in Bexhill whch sell alcohol are being asked by Sussex Police to display posters stating that persons under 25 may be asked for photographic ID.