POLICE have sent out a strong warning to parents saying they could be fined after being forced to look after drunk children this evening during a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Chief officers announced earlier today they would not tolerate the behaviour of some young people who have been making the lives of residents a misery in recent weeks.

Entitled Operation Arden, police along with Specials were out on patrolling areas where young people congregate and cause annoyance.

This evening police reported coming across a large group of youths ­— possibly around 50 ­—on Old Station Park, Horwich. The young people fled apart from one who officers ended up babysitting because he was too drunk to run away.

A neighbourhood police spokesman said: "As the officers have approached the group of approximately 50 youths have run off in all directions leaving behind a mess of alcohol cans and bottles.

"We'll be taking one child home as he was drunk to run away and thus we now need to ensure he gets home."

And just minutes later a 14-year-old and 15-year-old were being taken home after sharing  a litre o f  vodka, say police.

A neighbourhood officer responding to that call said: "As well as spending time taking these kids home there’s quite a bit of paperwork involved for the officers. They will now submit a ‘Care Plan’ which can inform future decision making around these families but also then generates referrals to partner agencies such as children’s services.

"Let’s not forget no-one should be out and about unless they have a specific reason defined under the coronavirus exceptions. Your kids should be at home!"

Police urged parents to ensure they know where there children are or run risk of being fined.

Police said: "If your child is going out tonight, remember that there are still a pandemic ongoing with restrictions in place. This may mean you the parent are liable for a fine. Do you know where your children are?

"You can report anti-social behaviour by calling the non-emergency number, 101, or using our live chat via https://crowd.in/HqDGHP. If it feels like the situation could get heated or violent very soon, or someone is in immediate danger, call 999."

Earlier today, Chief Inspector Mike Russell of GMP's Bolton District said: "GMP and our local partners have listened to the concerns from residents of Bolton and have developed a targeted response to tackle anti-social behaviour.

"Communities should be safe and reassuring places for everyone, so I want to assure people that we are dedicated to tackling this kind of behaviour and are proactively working with partners to take a swift and robust approach.

“It’s easy to underestimate the impact anti-social behaviour has on our local communities, especially during unprecedented times such as these, but we understand it can have a lasting impact on neighbourhoods and communities and often leads to an increase in crime, particularly violence and criminal damage.

"Finally, I would like to thank the people of Bolton for your continued support which has enabled us to identify the key locations where our patrols will regularly visit. The locations will be frequently reviewed and updated based on the intelligence we receive."