POLICE have pledged to step up efforts to deal with anti-social behaviour among youths after a village saw a major increase in offences.

Hurworth parish council heard this week that there had been 19 cases of youths causing an annoyance in the past month.

Six of those incidents had taken place at the village's Grange Community Centre.

PC Boyd Rowe told councillors: "There are fewer youths from the village going to Middleton St George now.

"They are staying here and hanging around the Grange. We have a fair idea of the ones who are responsible.

"The biggest problem with youths at the moment is that they are getting alcohol and we're looking at where they're getting it from, and clamping down on that.

"We're coming out early and getting the alcohol from them in an attempt to head off what's likely to happen later on."

A community warden will be patrolling the village in a bid to tackle the problems.

Councillors said they were disappointed at the recent loss of services for youngsters.

Councillor Ian Black said: "We'd love the youth club back. We'd love to give these kids something to do on a night."