A NEW initiative to tackle under-age drinking was launched in Prudhoe last week.

The Prudhoe Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) was launched at an event at Prudhoe Community High School on September 21.

The programme aims to tackle the problem of underage drinking by joining together local partners and educating young people about the dangers of alcohol.

In turn, it hopes to tackle anti-social behaviour associated with underage drinking.

As well as working with schools to educate youngsters, it involves partners from Safer Northumberland, Northumbria Police, the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, local retailers and licensees, health services and housing providers.

Tynedale Neighbourhood Inspector Pam Bridges said: “The partnership aims to protect young people and to make them aware of the risks to them of drinking alcohol, and how it can make them vulnerable to committing anti-social behaviour and to becoming a victim of crime themselves, while drunk.

“We want to put a stop to this and by working together with other agencies to tackle under-age drinking, we can make our communities even safer.”