Oulton Broad: Police patrols a success

A POLICE operation to target youths drinking in a popular park has been hailed as a success after more than 60 bottles of alcohol were seized.Officers have been carrying out additional patrols in Nicholas Everitt Park in Oulton Broad following reports that large groups of young people had been gathering in the park next to the Broad.

A POLICE operation to target youths drinking in a popular park has been hailed as a success after more than 60 bottles of alcohol were seized.

Officers have been carrying out additional patrols in Nicholas Everitt Park in Oulton Broad following reports that large groups of young people had been gathering in the park next to the Broad.

And a week after a number of criminal damage incidents had been reported, a police operation was carried out last Friday night (January 30).

Members of the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, police officers and Police Community Support Officers have been working to tackle issues that have been raised in the area and last Friday officers out a plain clothes operation to address concerns regarding underage drinking.

Twenty-four youths were stopped, and encounter forms filled in, and more than 60 bottles of alcohol were seized including lager, cider, wine and vodka.

'The parents of those stopped on the night have been contacted and most were unaware that their children were in the park drinking,' a police spokesman said.

'Further patrols will be made in the coming weeks and work is ongoing to determine where the young people managed to get the alcohol from.'