Off-licences selling alcohol to underage drinkers could be targeted as tough tactics are adopted to stop teenage hoodlums terrorising a town.

In the latest incident, up to 100 youths aged from 13 to 18 rampaged at the John Burrows recreation ground in Rectory Road, Hadleigh. They broke into the pavilion and left bottles lying everywhere.

Council officials are holding urgent talks with the police to devise ways to tackle the repeated wreckages.

Outreach youth workers could be installed to help deal with the problems. But councillor Godfrey Isaacs, who chairs the Hadleigh and Daws Heath area forum, has warned of a list of extreme measures.

They include:

Closing Hadleigh Hall and boarding it up

Locking up the recreation ground after dark

Punishing stores which sell alcohol to underage drinkers.

Sgt Kevin Diable-White, of Essex Police, is discussing the problems with Castle Point community safety officer Ian Kennedy.

Published Tuesday, May 20, 2003

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