FOI Reveals Extent of Crimes Committed by Underage Drinkers in Wrexham

Over 370 recorded incidents of underage drinking have been recorded by North Wales Police in the past two years – 117 of which have been in Wrexham.

The statistics have been released as part of an FOI to North Wales Police and show that between 6 April 2014 and 5 April 2016 a total of 375 incidents of alcohol-related crimes by underage drinkers.

South Wales Police reported 250 incidences; Dyfed Powys Police reported 182; while Gwent Police reported 105 incidences in the last year alone.

In total during the two year period 1,229 alcohol-related crimes involving someone under the age of 18 were recorded in Wales.

The FOI, which was submitted by Welsh Conservatives asked North Wales Police….

How many incidents have been recorded in the past two years regarding underage drinking? For example how many people under 18 have been found drinking, possessing or buying alcohol?

If possible would you be able to provide an indication as to where these incidents took place and how old the offenders are?

Details of the crimes committed range from rape and assault to criminal damage and possession of a weapon. Officers seizing alcohol from the youth along with ‘non-crime occurrence’ were also highly common.

In Wrexham the youngest recorded age of alcohol-related crimes was 12 – with two incidences listed as ‘use threatening / abusive / insulting words /  behaviour to cause harassment / alarm / distress’.

Criminal damage, arson, assault and burglary are also listed to have taken place as a result of underage drinking in Wrexham.

Speaking about the FOI’s findings, Angela Burns AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health, said: “It’s clear from the data that alcohol is having a ruinous effect on many Welsh youngsters and the communities in which they live.

“As these crimes demonstrate, underage drinking is fuelling some heinous antisocial behaviour at a huge cost to the public purse and to the victims they affect.

“Police forces and health services need to work much more closely with schools to develop an effective programme of education warning children against the dangers of substance misuse.

Mark Isherwood AM, Shadow Secretary for Social Justice, added: “The cost to society of alcohol abuse is incalculable and is often a contributory factor in poor health, unwanted pregnancy and, as these figures show, youth crime.

“The deep-rooted causes of underage drinking must be tackled through interventions that are targeted at children and young people most vulnerable to this kind of behaviour – before they take a collision course with the law.

“The Welsh Government needs to work far better with head teachers and the voluntary and independent sectors to find innovative and joined up solutions to this unacceptable antisocial issue.”

The full response to the FOI can be found on the North Wales Police website.