Parents who drop their teenage children off near carry out shops at the weekend with "no interest in what they are up to" have been slammed.
East Ayrshire Licensing Forum Chair Neil Dunipace raised the "absolutely ridiculous" situation during a discussion on underage drinking this week.
Forum member Graham Piggott had raised the issue of youth drinking with police Sergeant Iain Farmer, highlighting issues in the Kilmaurs and Stewarton area – even suggesting that the numbers were an unforeseen consequence of improved rail links.
Sgt Farmer said that the situation had improved in Kilmarnock itself recently, but acknowledged there had been issues over the summer months.
He explained that police were now taking a blunt approach aimed at parents, asking them if ‘they know where their kids are?’.
“This is Dean Park in particular,” he said. “We are talking in excess of 80 to 120 kids. Quite a few had to be taken home under the influence and their alcohol seized.
“The biggest thing for us is where they are getting the alcohol from.
“Young people are visiting from different areas. It is not just Kilmarnock; they are coming from Darvel, Cumnock and Irvine, so we can’t specifically say that it has come from one individual licensed premises or off licence.
Mr Piggott said: “I was one of those campaigning for improved rail services across Kilmaurs way, which was achieved.
“This may be the unknown extra factor, as they are coming here by train I think.”
Mr Dunipace pointed to the need for parents to be more involved and vigilant about their children’s whereabouts and behaviour.
He said: “There was an exercise in Irvine Valley following incidents around the Galston area.
“One of the things that came out of that was that parents were dropping their kids off at a Tesco supermarket car park, leaving them there and not in least bit interested in what their kids were doing.
“They were coming from other parts of the Irvine Valley, on a Friday or Saturday evening and saying ‘fine, get on with it’.
“That just seems absolutely ridiculous.”
Sgt Farmer said that such incidents were part of the catalyst for a new police campaign.
He said: “We are encouraging parents by asking them ‘do you know where you kids are and what they are doing?’.
“It is as blunt a message as that. We are addressing the scenario where kids are getting dropped off by a carry out shop, which just happens to be where the kids are meeting and congregating.
“There is obviously a safety risk aspect for young kids. We are talking about kids aged 12 to 15 who are under the influence and we are trying to eradicate that as best we can.”
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