Unbelievable scenes at country dance
(From The Orcadian dated: July 5, 2001)

PC Thomas and PC Mike Don were on duty at a West Mainland country dance a fortnight ago, confiscating alcohol from youngsters.

He said their battle was made harder by parents' attitudes to alcohol, and told of watching in disbelief as parents dropped off their children, who were openly drinking in the cars as they arrived.

"The ages and numbers did not surprise me. The surprise was the number of teens that were under the influence of alcohol. As well as the number of kids who were drinking, it was the fact that some of them were turning up in vehicles driven by parents and alcohol was being drunk as they were dropped off."

PC Thomas, who has ten years' experience under his belt and was stationed in Nairn prior to Shetland, also spoke of youngsters vomiting just feet away from him.

"A taxi pulled up, three girls ran behind us, stood for at least five minutes and vomited - three in a line puking - it was unbelievable."

PC Thomas estimated there were up to 300 youngsters, aged between 13-18, at the dance. Among their haul was lager, export, Guinness and bottles of spirits.

"I would estimate that 75 per cent were under 18 and quite a few of those aged between 13-16. The ages and numbers did not surprise me."

Youngsters have wised up to the fact that the buses are often searched by police - and now travel to the dances in taxis or with their parents - so it would seem there is plenty of cash available to them.

PC Thomas warned that parents must take responsibility and try and educate their kids. It was unrealistic to think they would not drink, but try to teach them to drink sensibly, he added.

"The common phrase parents use - 'it is only drink, at least it isn't drugs'. They seem to forget alcohol is a drug. If parents have accepted alcohol as the norm, then we are going to struggle."

Country dances are a common occurrence in Orkney, often held by clubs and organisations to raise money.

The events are stewarded, and the police stressed this was not a criticism of their work.

However, the officers were fighting a losing battle at the dance. "With the numbers that were arriving we had no time to go into the halls so we were concentrating outside. For us getting one there was probably three or four going past us, it was only the tip of the iceberg."

There were also two officers on duty searching youngsters, who were trying to take alcohol on the dance buses. However, PC Thomas said that the bus from Stromness was almost empty when it arrived.

PC Thomas said he had never before witnessed anything like the dance he saw that Saturday night.

In Unst, he said there were three public halls where discos, dances and functions were held, but rather than witnessing a sea of drunken youngsters, he said that nights out there were family orientated.

"There would be youngsters there and and often parents as well. I'm not trying to say they didn't have anything to drink, but I have never seen anything like this before."