POLICE are appealing to parents to keep track of their youngsters' whereabouts, after a series of incidents involving a gang of underage drinkers as young as 14 in Devizes.

Officers arrested two 14-year-olds on the evening of Friday November 10 after they were accused of smashing two windows at Edwin Giddings' delicatessen in High Street shortly before 9pm.

No action is to be taken against the girl involved, but the boy has been referred for a decision on whether he is to be charged.

Sgt Christian Lange said: "Groups of between 15 and 20 collect in the centre of town between 8pm and 10pm most Fridays, and some of them are definitely the worse for drink.

"Where they are getting the drink from is difficult to know, but we are carrying out regular checks of off-licences to make sure they are not selling alcohol to underage drinkers.

"I don't think it is a good idea for 14-year-olds to be out at that time of night and we are asking parents to make sure they know where their children are and what they are doing."

Insp Pete Bowerbank told Tuesday's town council meeting it is believed 18-year-olds are buying the drink at local supermarkets and giving it to the youngsters.

He said: "We seize the alcohol and take the youngsters home and discuss the situation with their parents. But it is becoming a problem, especially on Friday nights."

He said his officers were liaising with youth worker Margaret Lamb at the Southbroom Centre, and two recently appointed youth workers, Ray Ward and Gary Smith, were looking at the problem.

Insp Bowerbank said: "We are about to bring in a new ID scheme, but we could still have a problem if older teenagers buy drink from a supermarket and give it to the young ones, who then go and sit in the churchyard or wherever and get legless."

He said funding is now available for a feasibility study to see whether closed-circuit television in the town centre was necessary, but bids for Government money had to formalised by December 22.

Insp Bowerbank is now to have an urgent meeting with Kennet District Council officers. He said he was hopeful they would be able to put in an interim application for funding in time.