Young drinkers from Ilkley sent to drugs and alcohol agency (From Ilkley Gazette)

Young drinkers from Ilkley sent to drugs and alcohol agency

4:30pm Thursday 17th June 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Police are referring underage drinkers from the Ilkley area to a drugs and alcohol agency in an effort to stop them ending up in court under new legislation.

A project has been set up in the area to prevent young people caught more than once for underage drinking being criminalised, says Wharfedale and Craven Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) inspector, Sue Sanderson.

Legislation brought in earlier this year means under 18s caught with alcohol three times can be sent to court and could end up with a criminal record, blighting their future career prospects.

Insp Sanderson says a number of young people in the area have already been caught twice, and efforts are being made to prevent them ending up in court under the ‘three strikes and you’re out’ legislation.

“If they are caught on three separate occasions in possession of alcohol they can be sent to court,” said Insp Sanderson. “They can receive a criminal conviction for that offence. This legislation came in at the beginning of April and already we have some young people who are on their second count.

“Obviously we realise that it’s not going to be long before we have someone on three counts. We’re trying to respond to that so we don’t criminalise young people unnecessarily and affect their future job prospects.”

Insp Sanderson said the new project, set up in the NPT’s area, sees young people caught out twice referred to a drugs and alcohol service. Under the scheme, their parents are also contacted, and the underage drinkers are offered support.

Insp Sanderson said it was up to the young person to decide if he or she would take up the offer of support and advice from the agency. But accepting help would make it less likely that the underage drinker would end up being convicted.

“We’ve referred about four or five young people through at the moment,” she said.

Action against underage drinking has been one of the priorities of the NPT in Ilkley since late last year, when a large quantity of bottles and cans were seized from underage drinkers around the town.

Police say they are still getting reports of underage drinking in specific places around the town, particularly in locations which are out of public view. They say patrols will continue throughout the summer.

The NPT has also made action against anti-social and rowdy behaviour on Denton Road one of its main priorities.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)