MORE than 330 bottles of alcohol have been taken from under age drinkers in Teignmouth.
The booze, including bottles of whiskey, vodka, cider and lager, was confiscated from children as young as 12 in just one eight month period. Police community support officers who help police the streets in the town totted up the tipples from May to December last year. And that list does not include alcohol that has been poured away in front of the drinkers. More than 280 cans of lager, 25 alcopops and seven bottles of wine were among the confiscated items. The initiative is part of an ongoing remit to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest for police with teens of an average age of between 12 and 16 drinking in the streets. Officers have found children as young as nine hanging around with older groups late at night. One 15-year-old girl as arrested for being drunk and disorderly and on other occasions, officers have had to contact parents or take drunken children home. No alcohol drinking zones have been relaunched and alcohol can be confiscated in areas including the sea front, promenade and parts of the town centre. Police and community wardens have also been working closely with retailers. PCSO Craig Francis said: 'A lot of work has been done to forge good relations between retail outlets, the council and the police. 'We have been encouraging outlets to check ID and to find out which youths were attempting to buy alcohol, what alcohol they are buying and which retail outlets were being used by under-age drinkers,' he said. Several people that have been buying alcohol for youngsters have been issued with £80 fixed penalties. 'The youths go to extreme lengths to obtain alcohol and people should be on their guard if approached. 'We ask that the public to notify police if they are approached so that they can be identified and dealt with accordingly,' said Mr Francis.