Parents 'fuel teen drinkers'

Teenagers in Oswestry are binge drinking on booze supplied by their parents, according to the town's top police officer.

Inspector Jim Stafford said figures showed half of those under-18s who were interviewed admitted it was their own parents who gave them alcohol.

And the officer warned many parents were unaware that their children were out on the streets causing anti-social problems.

But Mr Stafford, speaking at an Oswestry Borough Council meeting yesterday, denied his officers were "powerless" to stop yobs, pointing out that anti-social behaviour offences and general offending was coming down.

Mr Stafford said a survey conducted by the Oswestry Young People and Alcohol Group revealed 50 per cent of under-age drinkers said their parents had given them alcohol.

He added: "One of the problems is that half the time the parents don't realise the young people are out late at night.

"They told them they were staying at somebody else's house."

But Mr Stafford said that the perception of binge drinking was worse than the problem.

He said: "Binge-drinking problems will make the front page of the newspaper, but it doesn't mean the problem is bad.

"Admittedly there have been a number of problems with young people drinking and the availability of intoxicants.

"We had problems through the summer in Cae Glas Park which led to community support officers seizing drink from under-18s."

The inspector was invited to speak to borough councillors after they raised concerns about policing in the borough.

Councillor Ron Jones said young people were constantly vandalising the Pavilion in Gobowen.

"The police seem completely powerless to do anything about it," he said.

The inspector said it was unlikely police would be able to eradicate anti-social completely, but said action was being taken.

He suggested a CCTV camera could be sited at the troublespot.

By Iain St John