POLICE seized alcohol from children as young as 13 in a weekend purge on underage drinking, writes Bob Burgess.
And officers say they are disappointed that young people are not heeding earlier warnings.
Police targeted the Hawick Cornet’s ride to Denholm and the Jim Clark Memorial Rally which started and finished in Duns.
Lothian and Borders police confirmed that at the opening stage of the rally on Friday they confiscated a large quantity of drink from 12 youngsters aged between 14 and 17.
In Galashiels on the same day alcohol was seized from four people aged between 13 and 17 in three separate incidents.
At the Denholm rideout celebrations on Saturday alcohol was taken from nine youngsters aged from 14 to 16 while in Galashiels drink was confiscated from a 16 and a 17-year-old in separate incidents.
And on Sunday five teenagers aged 16 and 17 were caught with drink in Duns.
Police launched an underage drinking initiative ahead of the rugby sevens seasons and said it would continue throughout the summer’s common ridings and festivals.
Inspector Brian Macfarlane commented: “It is disappointing that some of our young people are not heeding the warnings and continue to put themselves at risk by drinking alcohol.
“We will continue to be proactive in and around the summer Border events as well as during normal patrols.
“We would appeal to parents to take an interest in what their teenage children are doing when at these events and to speak to their children about alcohol.”
A probe is ongoing to discover how the youngsters obtained the drink.