POLICE in South East Kent stopped and checked 352 youths during an initiative to tackle nuisance behaviour and underage drinking over the summer holidays.

Operation Excalibur was launched on Friday 22 July, at the start of the school holidays when incidents involving underage drinking and reports of nuisance youths always go up.

High visibility patrols were sent to areas that had been identified as generating most levels of anti-social behaviour and crimes like vandalism to provide public reassurance and to deter and disrupt anti-social behaviour.

South East Kent police cover the coast from Sandwich to St Mary's Bay and the main towns of Hythe, Folkestone, Dover and Deal.

Officers working for Operation Excalibur also targeted the anticipated rise in drunkenness and disorderly behaviour by adults after pubs and clubs had closed.

During Operation Excalibur, police in South East Kent made 146 arrests, including 34 for violent crimes, 26 for criminal damage and 45 for drunkenness or public order offences.

They also issued a number of £80 fixed penalty notices for disorder, confiscated alcohol from 35 people, made official visits to 30 licensed premises and issued six dispersal orders.

Insp Nick Thompson, who led Operation Excalibur, said: “As the results show, there is a strong link between alcohol consumption and offences such as criminal damage and disorder."

He also warned: “Operation Excalibur has finished for now, but patrols will continue to focus on the problems of underage drinking, and disorder and use the full range of penalties available under the law against those responsible.”