This is the haul of alcohol seized by police in an undercover operation targeting young drinkers.
Stash - Sgt Lee Ward with some of the alcohol seized in the Pitsea area Picture: ROB BROWNE
Police launched a crackdown on gangs of boozing underage youths who have been making life a misery for residents.
The problems centre around the Eversley Recreation Ground, Pitsea, where the out-of-control teenagers are urinating in gardens, vandalising property, performing sex acts in public, fighting and causing noise problems.
To combat the problem, Pitsea police's problem solving team rolled out Operation Waddle, which uses high-profile patrols to confiscate alcohol and educate the youths involved.
Officers stopped 63 youths at Eversley, Crest Avenue and Rectory Road and found nearly every one of them had alcohol on them.
In total 57 bottles of unopened booze were confiscated and 30 opened containers poured away at the scene. Two 18-year-olds were arrested for disorderly conduct towards officers.
Sgt Lee Ward, of the problem solving team, said: "There are always problems with underage drinking but it has been particularly bad since the middle of July."
Published Wednesday August 4, 2004
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