Figures issued by Tayside Police today – covering a six-month period up to the weekend — underlined the extent of the under-age drinking culture in Dundee.

The weekly Operation Dry-Up patrols have, since the turn of the year, resulted in the recovery of 1450 litres of alcohol including cider, beer, alcopops and spirits.

Officers have attended 678 youths causing annoyance calls and carried out more than 380 visits to licensed premises.

Twenty people have been charged with various offences through Operation Dry-Up and five fixed penalty notices have been issued. Eighty-five warnings have been issued to children in front of their parents, while 15 young people have been referred to the Children’s Reporter.

A Tayside Police spokesman said today, “There were high profile patrols staged again at the weekend throughout the Dundee area.

“It was noticed that there were several end-of-year dances taking place and this, combined with the wet weather, may have contributed to lower seizures over the weekend.”

A 14-year-old boy was taken to his home in the Kirkton area of Dundee after being found drunk in the street by police at the weekend.

In total, officers seized 45 litres of cider, a dozen cans of beer and two litres of spirits — including brandy — from young people. Six under-18s were taken home and warned in front of their parents about their behaviour, and one incident resulted in a referral to the Children’s Reporter.

There were two positive test purchases by undercover “teen agents”, one in the Charleston area of the city, and the cases will now be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

The fiscal will also receive a report about a licensee in the Whitfield area, who was allegedly identified as selling booze to a 17-year-old youth.

Other incidents of note included alcohol being recovered from the underpass at Linton Road. Youths who were gathered there ran off into Camperdown Park.