Fewer rowdy drinkers

Anti-social problems on a Balderton street are easing, say residents.

People living on Glovers Lane praised police and Newark and Sherwood District Council’s anti-social behavioural team for taking action.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said problems caused by rowdy drinkers had declined dramatically since the ringleaders were targeted.

They said: “Credit must go to the police and the council for the action they have taken. Things are a lot better.”

At a meeting of Balderton Parish Council’s amenities committee on Wednesday, the resident said that alcohol, often vodka or wine, was still being found.

The resident said a stash of alcohol had been found behind St Giles’ Church that day.

The village beat officer, Pc Martin Stannard, said most young people in Balderton were well-behaved and law-abiding but were being let down by a minority.

He blamed bad parenting and older siblings buying alcohol for under-18s as the cause of the problems.

A representative from Tesco Express, group operations manager Mr Kevin Crawford, was angry that the Balderton council’s website suggested Tesco was at fault for selling alcohol to under-18s — an allegation he vehemently denied.

Mr Crawford said Tesco was part of the Balderton community and strived to be a positive factor in the area.

He said Tesco was happy to work with the police, the district council and other outlets in the Main Street area of Balderton licensed to sell alcohol, to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

He said Tesco Express had successfully passed eight secret and unannounced test purchase operations carried out at the store.

He said the store had a robust policy on sales of alcohol — the manager risked a £20,000 fine for selling to anyone under-age and the till operator, £5,000.

He said he was disappointed to see no other licensed retailers had been invited to the meeting.