Police seize 6,500 pints in underage sales crackdown
Police seized the equivalent of 6,500 pints from underage drinkers during a crackdown on drinking in public places in the Autumn.
There are now plans to to repeat the exercise later this year, after the success of the Home Office-backed campaign during October and November.
Police from 21 forces seized beer, wine, cider, alcopops and spirits from under-18s. Officers also used new powers under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 to disperse groups where alcohol-related crime or disorder was suspected.
The campaign covered tne half term school holiday, as well as Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night. Police Officers and Community Support Officers visited public places known to be underage drinking hotspots - many effectively no-go areas during the evenings - to confiscate alcohol and disperse groups.
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said: "This campaign was designed to bring to bear the full range of police tools and powers to tackle the harm caused to individuals and communities by underage drinking. It will not be the last.
"Quite simply we will not tolerate drinking in public by under-18s or anyone else where it leads to anti-social and intimidating behaviour."
He added: "Confiscation complements our efforts to tackle the supply of alcohol to children. The enforcement of underage sales law has hardened dramatically in recent years and I know that many alcohol retailers have raised their game and now routinely apply 'Challenge 21' criteria to anyone who looks underage."
Chris Allison, deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead officer on alcohol and licensing said: "This campaign was one of a number that have been undertaken to deal with the negative effects of alcohol.
"Significant work has been done on the issue of underage sales and this campaign sought to use the tactic of confiscation to help prevent the drink-fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour that we witness up and down the country."
