OFFICERS have made 114 seizures of alcohol from youngsters in Warrington east in the past eight weeks as part of an operation to crack down on anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related disorder.

Operation Barrow was launched at the start of March and aims to stamp out alcohol-related issues, particularly at weekends when officers have stepped up their patrols focusing on known trouble hot- spots and have been taking drunken youngsters home.

Insp Richard Spedding, from Warrington East NPU, said: “During the summer months we have previously seen a rise in this type of behaviour.

“Officers have maximised their time out on patrol and since March there has been a decrease in reports of anti-social behaviour – last weekend we only had six.

“We are seizing alcohol to nip any trouble in the bud as well as identifying and preventing other crimes while out on patrol.”

Helen Newlove, whose husband Garry was kicked to death by alcohol-fuelled yobs in August 2007, feels more needs to be done to tackle the root of youngsters drinking.

She said: “While this is a very positive action by the police this is still a cat and mouse operation that really does not have a fantastic end result.

“I have seen first hand police taking alcohol off kids only for them to leave the spot and go back round the corner where they get their next stash of alcohol out and do the same.

“It is now nearly two years since Garry’s murder and I feel that although the work the police do is fantastic we need to tackle these issues at a deeper level – when they are taken home for their own safety what is the reaction of the parents?”

She added: “They need somewhere they can go to with their peers at a low cost and of a standard they deserve not a substandard sticking plaster venue that does not say what it does on the tin.”