CONCERNS over large groups of young people congregating in Tavistock town centre during the evening has sparked a direct appeal to the chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police.

The call for action follows a meeting last week, in which members of the town council heard that large numbers of young teenagers were using the square to meet, drink and even play football.

Speaking at last week's meeting of the town council's finance committee, new mayor Cllr Philip Sanders said in the light of public sector cut backs, the only way to obtain police action regarding the situation was to 'go to the top'.

Cllr Sanders said: 'As far as I am aware it's an offence for someone to smoke under the age of 15, they shouldn't be drinking in the town centre as it's in the no alcohol zone, and they shouldn't be dropping litter — that's at least three laws being broken.

'If this is a real problem, and I have witnessed very large groups of young people out there, I think we as a town council need to go to the top — the only way to get action is to badger the chief constable.

'It's not acceptable for the police to just walk away.

'I've heard on three separate occasions recently about different groups of people leaving the town hall and being concerned about walking to their cars, which were parked down Plymouth Road, because they had to walk across the square where all these youngsters were congregating.'

Cllr Sanders said in addition to having no high level officer in the town, the police were no longer attending council meetings on a regular basis.

He said: 'I think we are getting a pretty raw deal. For a significant-sized town I don't think we are getting an adequate service and the only way to register that is with the chief constable.

'We have a situation, we have law breakers and we don't have the same channels of communication now.'

Cllr Mandy Govier said some of the youngsters involved were as young as 13 years of age.

She said: 'I know the street pastors are concerned about them — I've seen them with bottles, and I know the police have had to return quite a few youngsters back to their homes at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning.

'This issue has to be addressed and it doesn't help that our local inspector is based in Bideford and the superintendent is in Barnstaple. We have a sergeant, and that's it, we don't seem to have any higher level of police officer here.'

Cllr Govier said the town council should be acting as leaders under the new Localism Bill.

'This is our town and I think it's appalling that people leaving the town hall after a night out should feel intimidated because of groups of youngsters hanging around on the square,' said Cllr Govier.

'The police are withdrawing as fast as their little legs can carry them, they don't appear to have the resources or the officers and it seems to me that the bottom tier, like us, is going to have to run everything now.'

The committee agreed that a letter should be sent to the chief constable, expressing 'deep concern' regarding the town square gatherings and a request for action by police. The move was due to be ratified by the full council on Tuesday night.

Tavistock sergeant Dave Anning said due to re-organisation, there were now more officers on duty in the evenings than there used to be and over the last 18 months, if youngsters were seen with alcohol in the no-alcohol zone, it was taken off them. This would be followed by a letter to their parents.

If the misbehaviour continued, it would be discussed at a multi agency meeting attended by anti- social behaviour officers, and potential alcohol problems addressed.

'We are aware of the groups congregating in the square and we are addressing it,' he said. 'Officers are patrolling the square and removing alcohol. Youngsters can enjoy themselves but not at other's people expense. Teenagers like to hang around with their mates but it is when you combine that with alcohol that it can become unpleasant.'