The police enforcement campaign will take place over a series of weekends across the Strabane District Council area and is designed to stop underage drinking and help reduce associated anti-social behaviour.

Chair of Strabane District Policing Partnership (DPP), Councillor Thomas Kerrigan said that underage drinking remained one of the biggest challenges facing the local PSNI.

“In the 2006 NISRA survey, 52% of local people raised the issue of underage drinking... This is clearly of concern to the community and is an issue that we need to work together on; and more particularly in relation to the impact for local people in terms of anti-social behaviour, vandalism and criminal damage. These issues are regularly raised with us through our meetings with local residents, focus groups and questionnaires.” he said.

He continued: “A recently published report from the Chief Medical Officer showed that the average age young people start drinking is 11 years old and that 2% of young people drink every day.

“These figures are shocking, the effect that it has on the health of young people who drink is harmful and the anti-social behaviour that often arises is destructive. This is a problem which we all have a part to play in tackling – whether that be through policing, through education, or through promoting greater social and parental responsibility.”

Members of DPP have urged the community to lend their support to the PSNI in a bid to eliminate the problem.

“Strabane DPP is fully supportive of this police initiative and calls on local people to support the police. The DPP hopes that the initiative will send a clear message to young people who drink on our streets and those who may be buying alcohol for them, that it is not acceptable and won’t be tolerated.”