Underage drinking crackdown: alcohol seized from children as young as 14

District Support Team (DST) officers have issued a public update following a series of patrols across the local train network in Mid and East Antrim on Saturday evening (April 3), during which a significant quantity of alcohol was confiscated from children under the age of 18.

The patrols saw officers engage with groups of young people travelling by train across the district.

In a stark reminder of the ongoing issue of underage drinking, officers spoke to youths as young as 14 in possession of alcoholic beverages. A substantial collection of alcohol—ranging from alcopops and beer to spirits—was seized and displayed in an image released by the police.

“Below you can see a selection of the drink that was take off children under 18. Youths as young as 14 were spoken to and several parents contacted to come and collect their children for their own safety,” a spokesperson for the District Support Team stated.

Parents were contacted directly to collect their children, underscoring the potential risk to their safety had they remained unsupervised while in possession of alcohol.

The operation formed part of the continuing efforts by the Local Policing Team and DST officers, who remained active throughout the evening responding to numerous calls. These are typically high-demand periods for police services, especially during weekends and public holidays.

Neighbourhood policing officers were also active in Carrick and Larne, where community events took place amid warm spring weather. Officers reported generally positive interactions with members of the public.

“Neighbourhood officers are finishing duty soon after attending several events in Carrick and Larne, where most people were in good spirits and enjoying the pleasant weather.”

Police will continue their visibility across transport networks and public spaces in the coming weeks as part of their proactive approach to keeping communities safe.