TACKLING the growing problem of underage drinking should have been addressed in a new report by Redditch Community Safety Partnership, a councillor claims.

Redditch Council Conservative leader Carole Gandy has criticised part of the report, saying it only looks at the number of alcohol-related arrests and does not detail the level of misuse among minors.

"There is quite a problem of underage drinking in this town and I would have liked to see something about going into schools and educating younger children about this issue," she said at last Wednesday's executive cabinet meeting.

The document details crime records in the town between 2001-3. It states that since January 17, dispersal zones had been successfully used to deter young people from gathering within defined areas.

But Mrs Gandy believes dispersal zones do not help solve the problem.

"Dispersal orders just ship the area somewhere where youngsters will gather to somewhere else - it isn't sorting the problem out."

But Sgt Tim Williams, a spokesman for the partnership, said the document gave an overview rather than detailed statistics relating to one particular area of crime. The precise data would have been used to compile the report with the help of Worcestershire's Substance Misuse Action Team (SMAT).

"Certainly, underage drinking is a priority for police in Redditch and the strong links between the licensees in the pubs, clubs and off-licences and our licensing officer, Pc Simon Worley, create a positive framework for addressing this."

On the topic of dispersal orders, Sgt Williams said they had often been implemented after residents had made complaints about antisocial behaviour at police surgeries.

"Experience has shown this is not always enough by itself as we do not want the problem to simply move elsewhere and so we try to incorporate this into our planning.

''The specified exclusion area is carefully chosen to encourage young people to meet in appropriate places, such as parks, and we also work with our partner agencies to offer diversionary activities so the young people have something positive to do.

"The feedback we've had after implementing a dispersal order is proof enough they can be highly effective," he added.