POLICE have warned young drunken yobs in Padiham they have "nowhere to hide."

The warning comes at the start of the school holidays and follows several incidents involving drunken youths in recent months.

Community Beat Manager PC Derek Mitchell said that traditionally, when the schools break up for the summer, a rise in juvenile nuisance is reported.

He said the town's Memorial Park has become a problem area for youths congregating and drinking alcohol.

"A lot of the problems are coming from Memorial park.

"We have moved them off the streets and we are now going to target the park so they have nowhere to hide," said PC Mitchell. "In the past we have tried to be more lenient about it, however, enforcement is now going to be more of an issue.

"We are being a lot more proactive regarding this matter then in the past."

The crackdown is part of a campaign to rid streets across the borough of unruly yobs.

In May, 80 drunken youths aged between 14 and 17, believed to be from Padiham and Sycamore areas, clashed in a children's park in Cumbrian Way.

And PC Mitchell also fired a warning that pubs and off licences in Padiham would be targeted.

He said police would be carrying out random checks at premises by using underage people to try and buy alcohol.

PC Mitchell added: "Pubs and off licences will also be targeted to stop the youths buying alcohol and we will do test purchases.

"If any owner is caught they are liable to be brought before the courts.

"The message is clear we are not going to tolerate the selling of alcohol to underage people.

"Now the school holidays are here juvenile nuisance goes up and we are going to minimise these offences for the decent people of Padiham."