A PRIMARY school pupil aged only 11 was just one of the children found drunk on Swindon’s streets during a police operation.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found wandering the town centre streets during the Stay Safe initiative, which saw more than 70 police officers pounding the beat looking for vulnerable children.

The youngster was just one of eight children found by police in the first town-wide police swoop, aimed at reaching out to vulnerable young people and reducing anti-social behaviour.

Despite the shocking figures, the town’s top police officers have said they are not surprised by the growing problem of under age drinking in Swindon.

The operation took place on Friday with teams of officers patrolling their respective neighbourhood areas from 8pm to midnight, combing the streets for young people deemed vulnerable.

Once approached by officers the children, mostly teenagers aged between 14 and 16, were taken voluntarily to the Platform, the designated safe zone, to meet council youth engagement workers.

Their parents were told to collect their children and most were unaware that they were drinking alcohol, smoking cannabis and involved in anti-social behaviour.

One mother, Amanda Rawlings, 44, of the town centre, was shocked to receive a call saying her 16-year-old son was out drinking.

She said: “I knew he was out but I had no idea what he was doing. After what happened with Sian you just cannot be too careful and I'm going to work with police and the council to make sure he does not get into trouble.”

The Stay Safe scheme follows a similar operation in Liverpool, after Swindon Police Inspector Pete Chamberlain and Peter Robinson, the integrated services manager for children services, visited the city to witness it in action.

The operation, run by the Community Safety Partnership, including Swindon Council and Wiltshire Police, has been through two pilot schemes in north Swindon.

Insp Chamberlain said: “This has been the largest number of young people we’ve had brought in and the parents we have contacted have said they would rather have them home.

“We had one example of a 16-year-old who told his parents he was going to play football.

“Another 15-year-old boy was found with a bottle of vodka. He told us he would continue drinking when he got home.

“There are of course going to be follow up inquiries and this operation was all about early intervention.

“I cannot say I’m surprised by the figures of young people who are coming in intoxicated, mostly with alcohol.

“I think it has been a successful operation – we are getting the message across that it is not acceptable for youngsters age 14 to be drunk.”

Mr Robinson said: “I would like to think we have changed kids’ lives for the better. We are not there to judge them but to offer support and the response from the majority has been positive.”