POLICE have seized a stash of booze from under-age youngsters celebrating leaving school.
Around 50 youths were reported to be drinking in the Wolviston Back Lane area of Billingham.
The area has been targeted as a hot-spot for youths congregating following a number of complaints from concerned residents. Police introduced a high-vis
ibility patrol in a bid to reduce any disorder.
Tuesday's swoop on the area saw police recover a large quantity of alcohol, including more than 40 cans and bottles of beer, 11 litres of cider as well as liqueur, vodka and wine.
Billingham-based Sergeant Marc Anderson, of Cleveland Police, said: "If alcohol is recovered from 16-year-olds or over, or if they are believed to have been causing anti-social behaviour, they are given a direction to leave the area notice and cannot return for 48 hours."
Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Borough Council's cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: "The confiscation of this amount of alcohol is great work by the enforcement officers and will have prevented a huge amount of potential litter, anti-social behaviour, damage and disorder.
"The issue of under-age drinking is never far from the news, and the link between excess alcohol consumption and anti-social behaviour is well established."
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