A concerned group of onlookers gather round her, standing just far enough back to allow the paramedic attending to her room to work.

But the teenager has not been hit by a car, involved in an accident or struck down with a mystery illness. In fact the damage is completely self-inflicted — she is drunk (see page 1 picture).

The sight is a familiar one to the Tayside Police officers assigned to Operation Dry Up, the innovative crackdown on teen drinking taking place across the region.

Each week, officers assigned to Dry Up patrol the areas of Dundee favoured by youths planning to illegally consume cider, alcopops and cheap vodka.

Left to their own devices, the night frequently ends in instances of vandalism, petty crime and anti-social behaviour. On some occasions the results can be even more serious.

This teenager, who collapsed in Dundee’s Camperdown Leisure Park last Friday night, had become worryingly intoxicated. But, luckily, the Dry Up team got to her in time.

Once the paramedic had ensured the girl was in no immediate medical danger, she was helped into a police van and taken home to her parents.

More than 70 similar trips have taken place in the city since the start of the year.

“In a situation like this your first concern is for the welfare of the teenager,” say Community Sergeant David Logie, the man who took the girl home to her family.

Operation Dry Up is primarily designed to stamp out the problems connected to teen drinking, such as anti-social behaviour and crime. But it also protects the welfare of the youths, who can unwittingly endanger themselves when under the influence of alcohol.

The project started at the beginning of the year thanks to initial funding of £32,000 by the Dundee Partnership.

It was considered such a success that, once that money was finished, the force decided to continue the operation under their own steam.

Each weekend teams of officers set out across the city and target under-age drinkers, along with adults who buy booze for them and the off-licenses that sell it to them.

Last weekend, the Tele went out with a team to see what they are contending with.

Our guides to the city’s teen drinking hotspots were Acting Sergeant George Smith and PC Craig Robertson.

Sergeant Smith is head of the anti-social behaviour team in the city and has been leading Operation Dry Up since the beginning.

In that time more than 1100 litres of alcohol has been confiscated, around 750 youths have had their name taken for being involved in under-age drinking and four adults have been charged with buying drink for minors.

“There is often a misperception that the problem is localised to certain areas of the city,” said Sergeant Smith. “This is false — it is a problem across Dundee.”

Earlier in the evening, we witnessed a crowd of maybe 50 youngsters swarming in a field in Camperdown Country Park.

Some were carrying booze and others clearly under the influence. The majority were under the age of 14.

It appears that most of them go to school together and have arranged the gathering earlier in the day.

The police’s arrival does not perturb the crowd. On the contrary, many seem to treat it as a welcome bit of entertainment.

A group of such size is an intimidating and frightening spectacle. The resources that would be required to effectively control such a large party is not and could not be provided.

“All we can do is disperse the group and confiscate as much alcohol as possible,” says one of the officers.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Smith says a group of this number is not an unusual occurrence in Dundee.

“Groups of that size congregating happen quite frequently,” he said. “As well as the anti-social element, there is also the fact the litter and mess they leave behind has to be cleared up by Dundee City Council.”

In addition to patrols, test-purchasing initiatives have been taking place across the city.

This involves selected 16-year-olds, working with the police, entering both on and off-sales premises and attempting to buy alcohol.

If the licensee or their staff fail the test and supply alcohol illegally, they are charged and reported to the Procurator Fiscal and the Licensing Board.

But the front line of Dry Up is undoubtedly having officers out on the streets confiscating alcohol and making teenagers aware their behaviour is not acceptable.

At the end of the night, the team return to the station and tot up the evening’s haul.

Last weekend the tally was 129 litres of cider, seven litres of spirits, two litres of wine, 11 bottles of alcopops, eight cans and 32 bottles of beer, 10 vodka shots and a litre of Buckfast.

“That was just what we managed to get,” said Sgt Smith. “It is impossible to say just how much more drink was out there.”