CALLS for a major crackdown on boozy youngsters roaming the streets of Silsden have been made by townsfolk.

Children as young as 12 have been seen walking the streets at night clutching cans of beer.

Now police are being urged to crack down on them by confiscating alcohol and reporting them to their parents.

The situation has become so bad that Silsden community constable Richard Leonard has already visited off-licences in the town to remind them of under age drinking laws.

Members of Silsden Parish Council have also called for new bylaws which would outlaw drinking in the street.

However, the police have labelled these unworkable and say the current legislation is enough to tackle the problems.

Coun Alan Edwards said he had seen youngsters openly drinking in the streets.

"I'm concerned about the amount of drinking that seems to be going on," he told fellow council members at their monthly meeting last week.

"Someone in Silsden is selling alcohol to these kids and we should write to the police and ask them to call in at shops.

"There's kids of 12 and 13 trailing round at midnight with cans of beer and they're getting it from somewhere."

Last year, members of Silsden Environmental Group called for a ban on street drinking following a spate of vandalism in the town's newly-refurbished memorial gardens.

Silsden police chief, Insp Paul Spencer, said the force did not favour the introduction of bylaws.

"They are somewhat of a white elephant and have their limitations," he said.

"To try and stop this sort of thing you need powers of arrest and without that there's not a lot you can do."

Insp Spencer confirmed that PC Leonard had called in at off-licences to remind them of the law following an earlier complaint.

"The current legislation is sufficient to deal with the problem," he said.

"The Community Action Team, based in Silsden, deal with this sort of thing all the time and have the power to confiscate alcohol and then inform parents."

Reducing the problems of under age drinking is part of the Home Office's action plan for the future.

A Youth Lifestyle Survey carried out in 1998/99 showed that 84 per cent of 12-year-olds had drunk alcohol at some time in their lives.

"Under-age consumption of alcohol must be addressed because it increases the risks of young people becoming involved in criminal or disorderly behaviour," said a Home Office spokesman.

"It also leads to under achievement at school, poor health and employment prospects which may lead on to additional problems in later life."

A Home Office White Paper, published in April 2000, proposes making it an offence to buy alcohol for anyone under 18.

Under the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997, the police can confiscate alcohol from under-age drinkers in a public place.