Police criticise dozens of teenagers who met up to drink in park

On Friday and Saturday evening gatherings of around 100 young people were in the Meadows in the town centre of Stamford.

Lincolnshire police said those involved were drinking alcohol and the vast majority were aged between 15 and 17 years old. Officers had to take a 16-year-old boy home who was drunk. The boy was from Corby Glenn near Grantham and taking him home took officers 13 miles away from their duties.

Extra police patrols will be taking place to help tackle this anti-social behaviour including over the bank holiday weekend. Over the bank holiday, a dispersal order is in place. This allows the police to make someone leave an area if they are acting in an anti-social manner. If that person fails to comply with the order they can be arrested.

Also in force in Stamford is the Public Space Protection Order which allows officers to seize alcohol from anyone acting in an anti-social manner in Stamford’s town Centre, including the Meadows.

Inspector Gary Stewart said: “These incidents are completely unacceptable. We shouldn’t have to play the role of parents by making sure that teenagers are behaving themselves, not getting drunk in the street or breaching the rules over meeting up in groups.

“We cannot be knocking on doors to bring your children home intoxicated and having to do this and disperse large groups who are behaving in an anti-social manner takes us away from those that really need our help.”

“Parents need to be asking their children where are they going this weekend and making sure that they are not consuming alcohol.”