200 Blackburn teens quizzed over street drinking (From Lancashire Telegraph)

200 Blackburn teens quizzed over street drinking

1:14pm Friday 30th July 2010 in Blackburn

MORE than 200 teenagers were stopped by police in a single night as part of a crackdown on under-age drinking.

Police said two drunken teenagers were taken to a ‘safe place’ as part of the operation, focusing on anti-social behaviour in Blackburn.

The patrols were carried out between 5pm and 11pm on Friday in the Feniscowles, Shadsworth and Infirmary areas of the town.

They saw police and council officers identify young people out late at night who were at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of crime.

A 16-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were taken to Shadsworth Children’s Centre in Shadsworth Road, which had been set up as a designated safe place.

Officers spoke to 132 children under 17, throughout the operation and 89 teenagers over 17.

Alcohol, including a large bottle of White Lightning cider and various alcopops, was seized from under-age drinkers.