EAGLE-eyed Sidmouth residents’ quick thinking helped police seize booze from underage drinkers and halt anti-social drivers.

EAGLE-eyed Sidmouth residents’ quick thinking helped police seize booze from underage drinkers and halt anti-social drivers.

Officers have praised people who called the cops as rowdy and nuisance behaviour unfolded in front of them- and say this helped nip more serious offences in the bud.

The say no crimes were recorded in the town on Saturday as a result.

Up to 40litres of alcohol, some of it stashed in hiding places, was confiscated from youngsters at the weekend following a flurry of calls to police.

A driver who used Sidmouth sea-front as a race track this week was handed an on the spot fine after a concerned residents reported their actions.

Sergeant Andy Turner thanked all those who called in incidents as they took place.

“These problems will go away if we work together and tackle them like this,” he said.

“It’s very unusual to have no crimes whatsoever on a Saturday.

“We have the resources to deal with this, but we can’t be everywhere at the same time- we need people to call us. If you ring at the time we get results.”

He added: “After an article in the Herald last week, between Friday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 22, we had an additional 10 calls - in relation to anti-social behaviour among youths, under-age drinking, rowdy and nuisance behaviour and anti-social drivers- that we wouldn’t normally get.

“As a result of those calls, I can say that over the 24hour period for Saturday, March 19, not a single crime was committed in Sidmouth.”

PS Turner added between 30 and 40 litres of spirits, beer and lager, were seized from underage drinkers.

“Parents of a number of individuals will be visited by police,” he added.

He said police received three complaints related to anti-social driving- two of which were in Station Road.

“Preventative measures are being taken at the location,” said PS Turner.

He added: “Two cars racing on the seafront on Tuesday were reported to us. One of the vehicles was dealt with in a location away from where the report was made. A fixed penalty notice was issued.”

PS Turner praised the “marvellous” work of special constables in Sidmouth.