AN operation to tackle unruly behaviour by young people at the start of the school holidays saw police officers speak to dozens of teenagers.

Operation Staysafe is run by Darlington Police at the start of each school holiday period with the aim of reducing anti-social behaviour and binge drinking by young people on the street.

Officers visit parks and open spaces across the town to prevent large groups of youth gathering and taking home teenagers who have been drinking.

The Easter operation took place on Wednesday and Thursday night and included working alcohol retailers to ensure they did not sell to people who are under-age.

Over the two nights four teenagers, one boy and three girls, who were found to be worse for wear were taken to a safe place in Gladstone House, in North Road, where their parents were called.

Sergeant Daryl Edmunds, from the North Road beat team, said: “There was a large group of between 60 and 80 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 hanging around in the triangle between Albert Hill, Darlington College and the town centre, but we had enough officers in place to deal with them.

“We didn’t seize as much alcohol as usual because before the operation we had officers visit every off-licence in the area to bring them on board and remind them about not selling to under-age youths. That was a great success.

“The kids will generally try to run away when they see us which can make life difficult. We had a large group in North Lodge Park, but we were able to close off all the entrances and get in among them.

“The majority of young people are well behaved, but you will always get one or two that cause trouble and spoil it.

“There is a risk to the children, because they are vulnerable when drunk and a risk to property, because they can start kicking off wing mirrors and that sort of thing.

“We also have to consider the general public – it can be scary to walk down the street and see a huge group of teenagers in the road.”