POLICE are pleading to parents to help them tackle rising alcohol-fuelled problems with young teenagers in the heart of a Somerset village. Youngsters buying cans and bottles of alcohol from older teenagers are intimidating villagers walking through Chedd

POLICE are pleading to parents to help them tackle rising alcohol-fuelled problems with young teenagers in the heart of a Somerset village.Youngsters buying cans and bottles of alcohol from older teenagers are intimidating villagers walking through Cheddar at night with their drunken antics.Landlords are worried the problems could damage trade and members of the Pubwatch scheme have raised the issue with the police.Shop owners have tried to combat the problem by demanding ID for anyone trying to buy alcohol who looks under the age of 21. But young drinkers aged from about 14-16 appear to have got round this by asking people aged over 18 to buy alcohol for them.Last week Cheddar police seized alcohol from a group, and are urging parents to be vigilant about where their children are spending their evenings.The youngsters are gathering in the car park in Saxon Place off Station Road and their drunken behaviour has lead to vandalism and antisocial behaviour.Police say they will seize bottles of alcohol from troublesome teenagers and order them to move on, go home or face being arrested.Cheddar beat officer Ian Bartlett said: "The problem is young people aged over 18 buy alcohol for children about 14 to 16 years old, and then they drink it in public."Its intimidating for people who use the middle of the village, especially as it is at night."Basically we want to ask parents to be aware of where their children are."Last Friday a group of officers attended the Saxon Place car park and seized alcohol from the teenagers."We are taking as much positive action as we can. We are seizing alcohol, moving the kids on and, if the problems are bad enough, making arrests."Sometimes we are just asking if they can go to the park or go home and not congregate with the older ones.