Referrals made to social services after Carrick police seize alcohol from young teenagers

Commenting on the issue, a PSNI spokesperson said: “We spoke to quite a number of young people who had been drinking very strong alcohol.

“They can cause serious crime and disorder in communities and affect vulnerable residents.

“We are safeguarding young people, but also cracking down on anti-social behaviour.

“You need to know where your children are not just tonight, but anytime they leave home.

“They are often out of sight - in wooded areas, parks - getting very drunk, very early in the day and they are very vulnerable to being victims of crime or being involved in crime.

“We have made referrals to social services, we have spoken to parents, and we will be following up next week with offences we identified.

“We will be continuing these patrols, working with our partners in Translink and taking robust action while this problem continues in our area.”

Last week, the PSNI announced that patrols were to be increased in the Greenisland area following a spate of anti-social behaviour. For more on this, read here

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