Under-age drinking targeted

Dispersing groups of up to 30 youths drinking on the streets of Bridgnorth is to become a top priority for police.

People living in the town have called on officers to stamp out the problem, which becomes worse during the summer months.

Last month it emerged parents were purchasing alcohol on behalf of their children and leaving them to drink it in the streets.

At last week’s Police and Communities Together (Pact) meeting, residents voted under-age drinkers as one of the major issues affecting Bridgnorth.

Sergeant Bob Matthews said: “Anti-social behaviour and youth alcohol, predominately in the High Street from early Thursday evenings and through the weekend, is a concern.

“It is something we are going to be looking at for quite a while and with the weather getting nicer people stay out longer.

“We have had reports that up to 30 youths at one time congregate outside of Tesco up until about 9.30pm. It is something that needs sorting out.

“We hope to speak to the staff to see if they have had any problems and also some of the kids to find out what they are doing.”

Damage and anti-social behaviour at the car park behind the library and litter throughout the town, in particular Stoneway Steps and St Mary’s Street, were also highlighted by residents as issues they wanted the police to sort out.