North Wales Police Officers have been liaising with local schools in Bangor over concerns of antisocial behaviour, including children shoplifting and drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol.
Complaints have been received from stores including B&M and New Look about the behaviour of children in those shops in the evenings. Children in years 8 and 9, some as young as 12 years-old, have been identified from CCTV images.
The schools also have a list of names of 12-15 year olds who are meeting regularly to consume alcohol at weekends. The drinking sessions are known to be taking place in Brewery Fields, or more recently on Bangor Mountain. The children involved are drinking dangerous quantities of alcohol.
One 13 year-old spent two weeks in hospital as a result of becoming so drunk that he ate broken glass and a year 8 girl was found lying on the pavement and, when taken in by the police, was incapable even of sitting on a toilet unaided and didn’t even know her own name.
Police will now be following up on the CCTV images and on the information they have about the gatherings where children are drinking alcohol.
In addition, the local authority are seeking a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to give the police additional powers to deal with antisocial behaviour in Bangor.
In a letter to parents the deputy headmaster of Ysgol Friars said: “Please make sure you know where your children are and that they are safe in the evenings and at the weekends.”
