POLICE have launched a crackdown on gangs of youths blighting the area’s golf courses.

In a 48-hour operation last weekend, officers stepped up patrols at three known trouble hotspots and confronted potential troublemakers face-to- face.

They seized alcohol from several groups of youths caught drinking on land at Prestwich, Whitefield and Bury Golf Clubs and wrote seven letters to their parents informing them of their actions.Inspector Mark Kenny, who last month became the neighbourhood inspector for Prestwich and Whitefield, said he was delighted with the result.

He said: “This isn’t about being heavy handed with young people or being unfair to them. It is about listening to residents and working in the best way possible to deal with their concerns.

“Over the past few weeks, we have received calls from people living near the three golf courses about anti-social behaviour taking place.

“We decided to deploy more resources in and around the courses on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, conscious of the fact it was the half-term school holidays.

“I was absolutely delighted with the result.

“We are aiming to work with partner agencies like Bury Council’s licensing officers and off-licences responsible for selling alcohol to people old enough to buy it.

“We generally get a very good response from parents to these letters and my team will be following up on the letters with them in the coming weeks.”

Cllr Vic D’Albert, chairman of Prestwich LAP (Local Area Partnership), said: “I sometimes get complaints from constituents about this type of anti-social behaviour.

“This problem generally boils up in the summer.

“It is great to see the police are cracking down on it and are sending a clear message to troublemakers at the start of the summer that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”

A neighbour of Whitefield Golf Club, who asked not to be named, said: "It is a really good idea to deal with the problem like this and good that the police have informed the children’s parents about it.”