SALTDEAN SCOUNDRELS

TEENAGERS HANGING AROUND | Police try to keep on top of the problem

Seeing kids hanging out on street corners isn't uncommon throughout the UK, but it's a recipe for trouble. Inside Out South East discovers one town in Sussex where police think they've got the problem sussed

It's a problem you will find anywhere, teenagers wandering the neighbourhood because they have nothing better to do.

It's inevitable that trouble will ensue, after all - no one wants to pay for the kids' entertainment.

But surely residents shouldn't be destined to put up with it forever? In Saltdean, the police say they don't have to. They've got a plan. The big question is; will it work?

Peace destroyed

Saltdean in East Sussex is known as a quiet little town, where the salty sea spray evokes feelings of peace and tranquillity.

That is, until Friday nights when the teenagers start to hang out.

Teenagers have nothing to do in Saltdean

The quiet and serene environment, so favoured by the adults in the area, only causes boredom with the younger generation.

The facilities in the evening that are in place to entertain the teenagers in the area are somewhat lacking; they consist of a set of swings.

It comes as no surprise that if you mix 16-year-olds, who are ready to test their independence, with a quiet sleepy town there will be problems.

Inspector Steve Curry was getting fed up of the disruption the groups of youngsters caused.

Action required

After continual failed efforts to move the teenagers off the streets police officers decided enough was enough.

Rather than trying to shift the problem elsewhere they realised they had to try tackling it head on.

And so the Local Action Team was set up, with each contributor offering their own form of assistance.

The plan was to get the community more involved in solving the problem.

Saltdean Residents Association, Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove Trading Standards and St Nicholas' Church have all pulled together to help the youngsters in the community.

The result? The Local Action Team has set up a weekly youth club in the church hall.

Safe place to go

The youth club has become so popular that the membership is already full.

It has attracted a whole host of teenagers, like 16-year-old Joel and 14-year-old Sophie, who have become regulars.

But it's not just the members who are pleased with the progress, their parents are delighted too.

The teenagers are certainly benefiting from the youth club but the organisers aren't doing it for the fun of it.

They are trying to curb a dangerous trend of disruptive behaviour by nipping it in the bud.

"We bring enforcement and coercion, but at same time say to people 'don't be antisocial' and offer them an alternative," Inspector Steve Curry explains.

Cause and effect

Although there is no argument the youth club will help the residents of Saltdean, George Butterworth from the local church believes they are fighting an even bigger demon - alcohol.

"On a couple of occasions we have had to call an ambulance," George says, and he isn't talking about adults - those affected were 15-year-olds.

"We want to know where they are getting the alcohol from," he says.

Inside Out follows the police officers as they answer a call from a resident who has reported a large group of teenagers heading into nearby countryside.

The police find the group, deep in the woods, and are shocked when they realise they have discovered a teenage drinking den.

The teenagers are confident, perhaps from the drink, and want to know how the police found them.

As they take down all the names and addresses of those present Sgt Fry comments, "It only needs someone to grab a girl…"

The group is told that if they've been drinking they're not allowed in the youth club tonight.

The police are hoping that the teenagers will be encouraged to stay sober and safe in the club, rather than drunk and vulnerable in the woods.

Getting it from somewhere

It's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18-years-old, so where are these groups getting it from?

That's what Ray Moore decides to find out. He is a Trading Standards Officer and it's his job to ensure shops aren't breaking the law by selling to minors.

There are several shops that sell alcohol in Saltdean, so he decides to test one of them at random.

A 16-year-old boy joins the team in the experiment. Ray ensures he has an ID card that shows he is underage.

A senior Trading Standards Officer enters the shop before the boy. She will browse the shop and if our minor gets served she will introduce herself to the shopkeeper.

The 16-year-old manages to buy alchohol even with his ID card.

The owner explains, "This was a one off mistake. I calculated his age wrongly from the date of birth. It won't happen again," he says.

Ingrained problem

Certainly the teenagers are getting their drinks from somewhere but it's not always from shopkeepers selling to them.

People in the community believe the problem will only improve when underage drinking is stopped

Another common problem is 18-year-olds buying alcohol for their younger friends.

Trading Standards Officer Jo Player frequents the supermarkets and stores in the area to try get on top of the problem.

She spots a suspicious looking group and calls in the Community Support Officers to have a word.

It turns out the girl buying drinks was over 18, but she then handed some on to her underage friends, thus breaking the law.

Things getting better?

Back in the woods, Inspector Steve Curry takes a look at the drinking den for himself. "We're not going to tolerate this kind of behaviour… people in our neighbourhood suffer," he says.

He gets back out on the streets, on the lookout for underage drinkers. But do residents think the police's approach is working?

Unsurprisingly there are mixed opinions. One group of kids who spoke to Inside Out think they are treated too roughly.

"Some of the police are OK but some are bullies. They smash bottles and pour the drink down the drain," they say.

On the other hand, 14-year-old Sophie's dad Simon thinks the police handle the situation as best they can. "I don't think they overreact. Underage drinking has been going on forever," he comments.

The main reason for the creation of the youth club and the police's new approach was to fix the problem rather than move it on.

But have they just moved it on anyway?

David Watts lives next door to the youth club. He agrees that it's a good thing for Saltdean and for the kids, but he has found himself plagued by loud noises and disturbing behaviour since the club opened.

Moving in the right direction

It's a problem you will find anywhere across the UK, but it seems involving residents is a positive way to come about a resolution.

The police strategy was to get the community more involved to help solve the problem and there is no doubting the popularity of the youth club.

Whether it will fix a long term problem only time will tell.