PANGBOURNE COMMUNITY POLICING
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| A SOBERING MESSAGE FOR PARENTS THIS CHRISTMAS |
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| Police in West Berkshire have revealed the haul of alcohol
that they confiscated on one night, to send a message to parents
about the problem of underage drinking. |
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| In one night, two officers, a special constable and a Police
Community Support Officer (PCSO) confiscated 87 bottles of beer
from under 18s while out on patrol in the Pangbourne
neighbourhood. |
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| The alcohol was seized as part of the 'stop and account
process' and letters have been written to the children's parents
or guardians to inform them of their behaviour. |
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| Supt Chris Shead, LPA Commander for West Berkshire, said:
"This is a staggering amount of alcohol confiscated in a short
period in just one area of West Berkshire. It gives an indication
of the scale of the problem. |
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| "We want to change this worrying culture of underage drinking
in the area, which in turn leads to a disproportionate amount of
criminal damage. |
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| "Part of the problem is that the youngsters often present
extremely realistic fake ID cards, which are relatively easy to
get hold of. We advise all shop owners to request photo ID in the
form of a passport or driving licence before selling alcohol to
young people, as these are the most reliable proof of age. |
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| "If officers find anyone underage in the possession of
alcohol, it will be seized and the parents/guardians of the child
will be either visited or written to. |
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| "I would ask parents to ask themselves 'Do I know where my
child is and what he/she is doing?' If you don't, then you could
be faced with a visit from our officers" |
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