UNDERAGE drinking is to blame for the anti-social behaviour that has become Òa way of lifeÓ for the people of Liphook, according to residents and the police.

Nearly 100 people turned out for a public meeting on juvenile behaviour at Bohunt Community School on Tuesday.

The audience of residents, licensees and parish councillors was addressed by Insp Gerry Thorne and WPc Anabel Berry, the local beat officer for the village.

Insp Thorne said that for the Whitehill area of 33,500 people, there are currently 27 officers, two of whom serve Liphook specifically.

WPc Berry said that from July 1, 2001, to July 23, 2002, there had been 96 recorded incidents of criminal damage, of which 52 were committed by juveniles. The highest individual amount of reported damage was £400, the lowest £12.50.

Of 51 assaults, seven were committed by juveniles, and for 55 counts of threatening behaviour, three were by those under 18.

In the past two years criminal damage incidents had gone up, but all other offences had tapered off.

WPc Berry said police operated a two-strike system with under-age offenders, the first a reprimand, the second a final warning.

More serious incidents of criminal behaviour bypass this and go straight to court.

Although he recognised the concerns of local people, Insp Thorne stressed that perspective was necessary.

ÒThis is a small parish community, and, although a nuisance, your problems pale into insignificance compared with the inner cities,Ó he said.

One member of the public, who had lived in London, disagreed. ÒThe problems we have here, the nature of the behaviour, is quite worse than in London.Ó

Insp Thorne refuted the claim. ÒThere are no drive-by shootings, no stabbings, and street robbery is non-existent.Ó

He asked: ÒWhat can you as a community do to solve the problem?Ó

One man said it was the police who were the problem. ÒYou donÕt enforce the law,Ó he claimed, before being jeered and shouted down by the rest of the audience.

ÒWe are concerned that we are missing the hot-spot areas,Ó said Insp Thorne. ÒNobody has to tolerate anything that amounts to a criminal offence.Ó

A list of key trouble areas the public suggested included Midhurst Road, The Square, the recreation ground, London Road, Haslemere Road, the area around the kebab van, Huron Drive, Manorfields estate, the skate park, the tennis courts, Bircholt Road, Portsmouth Road, Radford Park and the new estate outside SainsburyÕs.

One man asked: ÒWhatÕs left?Ó

The worst times were said to be Friday and Saturday nights, although Manorfields was singled out as being a problem Ò24 hours a day, seven days a weekÓ.

For many, the problems had become so common place that many incidents were not being reported. ÒItÕs a way of life here now,Ó one man said. ÒThereÕs a lot of ÔtheyÕre doing it againÕ.Ó

One woman said that she had lived in Liphook for five years, and on many occasions had been ÒpersecutedÓ by youths.

ÒWhen itÕs 2 am and theyÕve been shouting for two hours, you get to the stage where you go outside in your dressing gown and confront them,Ó she said. ÒThey are shocked but they say they havenÕt done anything.Ó

Insp Thorne said that although it would Òdrive him up the wallÓ that kind of behaviour was not an offence in law. ÒA breach of the peace has to be accompanied by violence to make it a crime,Ó he explained.

Another woman felt the problem had escalated, she having suffered Òhorrific verbal abuseÓ. ÒThey think itÕs a great big joke,Ó she said.

Special constable Tony Simpson agreed. ÒWhen you come across 12 or 13-year-old girls falling down drunk, you know youÕve got a problem.Ó

The majority of questions revolved around under-age drinking, many people asking what their responsibilities were if they saw it happening.

WPc Berry said police regularly made calls to parents, who, nine times out of ten, were horrified that their children were out drinking.

Insp Thorne said police powers were quite limited. ÒIf an under-18 has a bag full of cans of drink and theyÕre not open, we canÕt remove them.Ó

Concerns were raised that children with fake IDs were buying alcohol from local off-licences, and that over-18s would buy large quantities and then sell them on to their younger friends.

An older resident asked if he was legally allowed to put up barbed wire on his fence that had been vandalised. He also made a call for the education and discipline of children to begin at home.

ÒWe must remember that these are children, not monsters,Ó said Insp Thorne. Claims that the majority were just Òexcitable adolescentsÓ were met with laughter from the assembly.

Asked if Liphook was better or worse than other areas, Insp Thorne said: ÒThis is the modern teenager. They are disaffected, disinterested and donÕt want to be a part of society. They think life revolves around hanging out on the street corner, looking cool and acting stupid.Ó

One woman said that this was always the case, but now it is assumed that groups of young people together automatically means trouble.

ÒLiphook doesnÕt have a lot to offer young people,Ó she said.

A youth worker from Liphook agreed. ÒI could show you writings from Aristotle or 300BC complaining about the youth of today,Ó he said.

ÒWe need to look at youth provision, the growth of the village has not been matched by things for them to do.Ó

Another speaker suggested that the vast majority of young people in Liphook were not involved.

ÒThere is a very small minority of 12 or 13 who are willing to challenge authority and rope younger, more impressionable children in,Ó said Insp Thorne.

Two young people from Bohunt School, who attended the meeting, thought that was true. ÒThere are four pubs in Liphook and a train line,Ó one said. ÒPeople come from outside, get drunk fast then cause trouble.Ó His friend felt that young people were being ÒscapegoatedÓ.

Urging people to come forward with information, Insp Thorne said that it all helped the police to build up a picture.

ÒOur biggest problem is lack of corroboration.

ÒWe are committed to providing Liphook with the best possible police service, resources allowing. IÕm not promising to solve everything, but if anyone feels they can help and get involved, thatÕs one way of taking this forward.Ó