Hardened police officers were shocked by the amount of booze being drunk by youngsters during a half-term blitz on underage drinking. Officers seized 134 cans and bottles of alcohol from young people on the streets of South East Cornwall during the half-term holidays and say some of them were exceeding the recommended weekly alcohol limit for a grown man – the equivalent of just under ten pints of beer – in one night. Inspector Steve Bradford and a team of eight officers took to the streets of Callington, Liskeard, Looe, Saltash and Torpoint during the holidays in a bid to tackle the problem which is seen as being at the root of anti-social behaviour in local communities. 'There was one example where we were surprised at how young the culprits were and how much they had had to drink,' said Inspector Bradford.
Safety He explained that he and his colleagues had not wanted to advertise the campaign beforehand as they were worried they would not get a true reflection of the problem. He admitted what they had found was not only a concern from a crime perspective but also from a safety angle. 'It is recommended that a man has no more than 21 units of alcohol a week,' said Inspector Bradford. 'Some of these kids are drinking that in a night.' The officers, who will be taking part in similar operations across the district, took the details of all the offenders and have informed their parents.