BOOZED-UP teenagers drinking and causing problems on Trimley's streets are to face "zero tolerance" as police crackdown on a hardcore of troublemakers.

BOOZED-UP teenagers drinking and causing problems on Trimley's streets are to face "zero tolerance" as police crackdown on a hardcore of troublemakers.

Trimley St Mary has become the gathering place for youngsters from Kirton, Felixstowe, Walton, and Old Felixstowe which has led to complaints of noise, rowdy behaviour and vandalism.

Trimley beat officers Pc Jim Kerr and Pc Dave Gledhill are mystified why the area next to the shops in Faulkeners Way and the Stennetts Memorial field should attract youngsters from so far away.

So far they have been seizing alcohol and pouring it away, issuing letters to parents, and sometimes calling parents to come and collect their drunk children, most of whom are 14 and 15, and some 16 years old.

Pc Gledhill said the youngsters were vulnerable and not in control of themselves when they had been drinking and were likely to commit crime.

"We do not have the support we would like from some parents, who say why are you harassing my child after we have dealt with their youngster for perhaps the third time for being in drunk and in possession of alcohol," he said.

"Many of these parents don't know where their children are or what they are doing - as long as they are out of the house, they are not bothered."

Most parents had been supportive and done what they could to help and had grounded their teenagers. But there was now a hardcore of youngsters still causing problems.

"There is going to be a change in our policing of this now and that will upset some parents, but we are going to have zero tolerance whether those parents like it or not," he told Trimley St Mary Parish Council.

"If we find youngsters in Trimley now with alcohol on the streets they will simply be arrested.

"We have spoken to these youngsters, we have written letters, we have tried education, and in some cases called out parents. It has not had any effect on this hardcore group who are still repeatedly under the influence of alcohol.

"Now we will arrest them. I know some parents will be disgruntled. They will say it is heavy-handed policing, but it is not. We have explored all the other alternatives."

Youngsters would face a reprimand, which used to be called the caution, and some might faces charges and a court appearance.

Officers are also working on the source of the supply of the alcohol using surveillance and are confident they will be able soon to stop the supply of alcohol.