FERMANAGH police have urged parents to take more responsibility for their children after seizing a substantial amount of alcohol from young people – some of whom even claimed their parents had bought the drink for them.
On Saturday the PSNI’s Enniskillen Neighbourhood Team stopped a bus of local youths heading to a concert in Belfast and seized whatever alcohol they had. The confiscated drink included vodka, gin cocktails, alcopops, cider, beer, and rum.
This prompted police to appeal to parents on social media, asking them if they knew where their children were and what they were planning. They also warned the teenagers, their parents, and local shops, pubs and off-licences they would be out on the look out following the release of the GCSE results earlier in the week.
A Fermanagh PSNI spokesman said on Saturday. “We aren’t out to ruin anybody’s bank holiday weekend. However we do see the effects that alcohol has on students and the anti-social behaviour that can follow.”
The spokesman added: “Some of the youths that we have taken the alcohol from actually said their parents bought them it. This obviously can come with some artistic licence. However, the strain put on all front line services, be it in the NHS, fire service, NIAS [ambulance service], or ourselves, can start with something as simple as a bottle of alcohol.”
Warning vendors to be strict with ID, they then issued a direct appeal to parents: “Do you want to be getting a phone call from anybody in the middle of the night saying to come pick your child up from the hospital? Or worse?”
The warning came after police had said they were “delighted” they had found no underage drinkers in local pubs following the exam results on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, in response to a number of questions about the drink that had been seized, the spokesman confirmed police do not keep it but instead pour out the alcohol and recycle the bottles and cans.
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