Colchester: youths hassle Tesco customers (From Gazette)

Colchester: youths hassle Tesco customers

2:21pm Monday 7th April 2008 in

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YOUTHS repeatedly harassed shoppers outside a Colchester supermarket, asking them to buy cigarettes and alcohol.

A group of about ten to 15 youngsters, both boys and girls, was seen hanging around the Tesco petrol station, on the High Woods estate.

They were stopping passers-by and asking them to buy cigarettes for them.

One shopper, who refused to go along with the demands, was verbally abused by the group and called police to report it.

Later, at about midnight, police received a second report of nuisance youths hanging around the Tesco store.

There were up to ten youths, this time asking customers to buy alcohol on their behalf. They told shoppers that they had already had some alcohol, but had drunk it.

A spokesman for Colchester police said: "Essex Police takes the issue of nuisance youths very seriously, and is taking measures to try and solve the problem.

"We would like to remind people that it is an offence not only to sell alcohol and cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18, but also to buy either of these items for a juvenile.

"As part of an ongoing operation to crack down on underage drinking, police will be questioning any youngsters caught with alcohol to find out where they got it from."

Under the Licensing Act 2003, the police have new powers to prosecute adults buying for underage children. Offenders could be given an £80 fixed penalty notice or, if it goes to court, face a fine of up to £5,000.