Newquay Safe one year on
The Partnership has worked very hard through July and is continuing its efforts through August. The biggest problems the partnership is having to deal with are proxy sales where over 18's buy alcohol on behalf of under 18s and parent dealers who provide alcohol for their children while they are in Newquay.
John Higgins, father of Paddy Higgins who tragically died in a cliff fall last July, visited Cornwall recently and says "The message I have been trying to help get out since Paddy's death is that we all have to recognise our responsibilities to ourselves and others. The Police and Local government seem to be doing all that is reasonably possible in terms of information regarding safety and how the young people are managed once they arrive. They face an uphill struggle though when parents send their children away with ridiculous excesses of alcohol - as has been recently publicised - or when over 18s supply underage people with alcohol once they arrive - this is almost impossible for the police to manage".
Successful partnership working
Dave Sleeman and John Coltman of Newquay Town Residents Association say "Last year the Newquay Safe Campaign was launched with brilliant publicity during the Boardmasters Event. What has been achieved by the partners fantastic efforts in the last year has been tremendous, no under 18's injured or died during Exodus, stronger policing, budget accommodation safety inspections, responsive licensing decisions, visits from the Home Office and most of all the feeling in the streets of Newquay that due to your efforts the town is slowly changing for the benefit of both residents and tourists.
"The Newquay Town Residents Association thanks all the members of the Newquay Safe Partnership for what is being done to rectify the problems that affect our town and the work of every individual member of the team in the continuing the task of regaining Newquay's reputation as the top holiday resort in the South West. You are in the words of Lance Kennedy 'putting the Jewel back into the crown of Cornwall'".
Coping with the Exodus
Over 3,000 wristbands were given out for the Exodus project and on busy nights up to 1,000 teenagers attended the under 18, alcohol free club nights, with on average between 500 and 800 a night. Although numbers of visiting teenagers are down this year the Cornwall Council youth services were very busy but on the whole the majority of teenager visitors were well behaved and enjoyed themselves. Clubs provided staff to assist with road safety while the teenagers queued to get in and 14 Youth officers, many of them volunteers, worked over 700 hours between them coming from as far as Penzance and Plymouth.
The Street Safe scheme helped between 4 and 5 teenagers back to their accommodation every night and took care of many others who were being sick or were unwell from too much alcohol. Medics took care of minor injuries and police and youth workers provided practical help and advice.
Trying to be Accommodating
Partners, including the Police, Cornwall Council Licensing, Fire and Rescue Service and Environmental Health and the Local Safeguarding Children's Board made 16 multi agency visits to budget accommodation (Surf Shacks) in Newquay. The visits have raised awareness of and given guidance on the correct management of young visitors in accommodation in Newquay. The visits will continue throughout August.
Trading Standards made 24 test purchase visits and only one premise failed and has received a follow up visit. Newquay's 4% failure rate of test purchases is well below Cornwall's average of 16%.
Cornwall Council Licensing inspected nearly 40 premises during July, including 11 surf lodges and also took part in multi agency visits. One surf lodge, which had been highlighted following reports of anti-social behaviour from the premises was issued a 'Stop Notice' for operating without relevant planning permissions.
A number of surf shacks and licensed premises are working with the Partnership to help keep the visiting teenagers safe giving their guests information about responsible behaviour and how to stay safe, making regular checks of rooms for alcohol. Ted O'Dell of Eaton Court has handed hundreds of cans and bottles of alcohol he has confiscated from under age guests to the police. Trevelgue camp site has also confiscated alcohol from guests under 18 and sent under age visitors home for antisocial behaviour. Off licenses, clubs and bars have handed large numbers of fake IDs to the Police and have refused entry or to serve under 18s.
The Surf Lodges that are applying our safeguarding guidelines have reported better behaviour amongst their younger guests. These premises had the required staff on site, parental consent forms and guests were aware of the rules about no alcohol on the premises.
Over 1,000 cans and bottles of alcohol have been confiscated from under 18s by the police. The information received was that the alcohol had not been purchased in Newquay and arrangements were made to visit the premises where it was bought by police and licensing in those areas.
Follow you home
Devon and Cornwall Police sent home over 20 drunk and incapable children, who were at significant risk as a result. The parents of the children were called to the town to collect them having to travel from Bristol, Swindon, Reading, Berkshire, Surrey, Oxford, West Glamorgan and Solihull.
All of the families of the young people returned home will have visits from their local police as part of our 'Follow you home' scheme to ensure anti-social behaviour that occurs on holiday does not stay on holiday.
Police Operations Brunel and Touchdown were a success and will continue through the rest of the summer as Newquay is still very busy and summer policing will still require a high profile police presence.
The Drinkaware 'Got Your Back' Cafe, on the popular Fistral Beach, was a place for 16 and 17 year olds visiting the area to chill-out. The alcohol-free venue gave young people a place to hang-out and eat discounted food while having access to alcohol facts and information. Free internet and phone charging facilities were also available. Parents looking for advice about young people and alcohol can visit the dedicated 'parents' section of the Drinkaware website at www.drinkaware.co.uk/parents.
MCA Coastguards have supported the work of the partnership, giving advice on coast and beach safety in and around Newquay to the public.
Newquay Treviglas Community College students have completed their safety message film which will be used to help explain to visitors from land-locked towns and counties how to stay safe by the coast.
Joint Newquay Safe Partnership Project Manager, Rob Andrew says "It has been very rewarding to see all the hard work and careful project planning that has taken place over the last 12 months come to fruition. The partnership has been criticised by a small minority for being more talk than action - however we have delivered real results on the ground which I hope everybody in Newquay is now feeling the benefits of".
Superintendent Julie Whitmarsh, Joint Newquay Safe Partnership Project Manager says "This has been a very challenging period for the town and we have seen real commitment from so many different sectors to make a real difference to Newquay. What is nice now is that we are getting feedback from people in the town, residents and businesses alike that this difference is tangible and we are now looking forward to continuing to develop the work over the coming months".
Newquay Town Mayor, Jill Bunt says "I have been delighted with the positive publicity that Newquay has been receiving over the last few weeks. There have of course been some negative articles in the national press but I feel that it is likely that these would have appeared no matter what was actually going on in the town. Newquay safe has been a true partnership working on a scale that has been unprecedented and I am sure that the relationships between groups and organisations will continue and grow and Newquay Town Council is proud to have played its part".
The Newquay Safe Partnership has had visits from the Home Office and the Under Secretary of State for Crime Prevention, James Brokenshire. The Minister met with residents, partners and front line officers who are tackling the alcohol related problems and during his visit said that Newquay is obviously very committed to having a strong and successful future and he has no doubt that we will succeed having seen our high levels of determination, pride and commitment.
We are working with partners, including Drinkaware, the Home Office and Department for Education to find new ways to address the issues – locally and nationally, and get across our Be responsible – Be safe message to as many people as possible.
Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, one of Newquay Safe's partners this year, adds "A lot of 16 and 17 year olds have and will continue to holiday in Newquay each summer, but if their parents provide them with alcohol to drink unsupervised, it could put them at risk.
"Parents may think they're doing the right thing by providing alcohol to try and keep track of how much their child is drinking, but drinking to excess can put young people at risk, increasing the chances they will have unprotected sex or be involved in an accident. On average, 200 under 18s end up in hospital each week as a result of drinking alcohol and we want this number to be reduced.
"Mums and dads play a significant role in shaping their children's attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol, and Drinkaware recommends parents do not provide alcohol for their children's unsupervised holidays. Drinkaware is encouraging parents to visit their website for practical advice about talking to children about alcohol."
The Newquay Safe Partnership will continue to work to control anti social behaviour in the town and action will be taken when and where required.