Newquay Safe's first year success

Over 18s buying alcohol for under 18s has been one of the biggest problems, the partnership said

More than 20 "drunk and incapable" under-age holiday-makers were sent home from a Cornish holiday resort by police last month.

Parents from Bristol, Swindon, Reading, Berkshire, Surrey, Oxford, West Glamorgan and Solihull were told to collect their children from Newquay.

More than 1,000 cans and bottles of alcohol were also confiscated.

Despite this, Newquay Safe Partnership said its campaign to protect young people has been successful.

The partnership was set up a year ago after two teenagers died in the resort.

Police, residents, councils and businesses - including pubs, clubs and off-licences - have been working together to promote safety and minimise the risks to drunk people in the town centre.

Newquay Safe said the biggest problems in July included proxy sales - where over 18s buy alcohol on behalf of under 18s - and parents who provided alcohol for their children while they were in Newquay.

Newquay Town Residents' Association said what had been achieved by the partnership was "tremendous".

Spokesmen Dave Sleeman and John Coltman said with no deaths or serious injuries this year, the feeling in the town was that Newquay was slowly changing for the benefit of both residents and tourists.

Fewer visitors

Newquay Safe organised a two-week programme known as Exodus which involved alcohol-free evenings at nightclubs and buses to shuttle teenagers to and from campsites.

The Street Safe scheme helped teenagers back to their accommodation every night and took care of many others who were unwell from too much alcohol.

Although the number of visiting teenagers was down on the previous year, joint Newquay Safe Partnership manager Rob Andrew said "real results" had been delivered.

"It has been very rewarding to see all the hard work and careful project planning that has taken place over the last 12 months come to fruition," he said.

"The partnership has been criticised by a small minority for being more talk than action - however we have delivered real results on the ground which I hope everybody in Newquay is now feeling the benefits of."

Newquay Safe said it would continue to work to control anti-social behaviour in the town and action would be taken when and where required.