CHILDREN as young as 12 were caught with booze during a police operation in Rotherham.
More than 30 under-18s were stopped by officers in one night during the crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Maltby.
They seized 24 cans of lager, 20 litres of white cider, four bottles of vodka and three litres of alcopops in and around the Coro
nation Park area - a favourite haunt for youngsters. The police operation followed complaints from local people about bad behaviour around the park.
Police community support officer Sean Tulley said: "A letter will be sent to the parents of the under-18s we caught, and if they are caught again they will be issued with an acceptable behaviour contract.
"Anyone caught supplying alcohol to under-18s will receive an £80 fine and 16 and 17-year-olds caught buying or attempting to buy alcohol will be fined £50."
The police operation also led to a street caution for possession of cannabis, a fixed penalty notice was given to someone for harassment, two £50 fixed penalty fines were issued for littering, along with four council fines for the same offence.
Mr Tulley said: "We are getting a grip on the situation in Maltby. We are up against a social trend of anti-social behaviour, but we will keep going until it stops."
Police admit their efforts to stamp our bad behaviour is being hampered because local people are reluctant to come forward with evidence for fear of reprisals. They are appealing to parents to make sure they know what their children are up to when they are out alone.
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