Police make drinks haul at Harray Hall finale
(From The Orcadian dated December 28, 2001)

The last dance to be held in the existing Harray Hall was memorable by the number of underage drinkers, according to police.

While 15 carry-outs were seized from underage revellers, a 17-year-old girl was taken to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall, virtually unconscious as a result of too much alcohol. There was also one minor drug offence, police said.

The dance was the last to be held in the Harray Hall in its present condition. The Harray Community Association have plans to renovate the hall in the New Year.

Around 380 youngsters, ranging from 13 upwards, attended the dance, which the police said was well organised and stewarded.

Kirkwall Inspector Paul Eddington said there was a greater police presence at the hall than usual, with eight officers on duty as part of Operation Kaliber.

“We are trying to stamp out anti-social behaviour, such as vandalism, and there is an ongoing underage drinking campaign. There were seven officers and myself, but not all standing there at any given time.

“We seized a considerable amount of drink. Fifteen separate seizures from people under 16.”

The alcohol, which is poured down the police sink, was a mixture of alco-pops, home-made concoctions, spirits and beers.

Otherwise, the Inspector said, it was a fairly well-behaved event.

“We will be carrying out exercises like that from time to time which reflects the concern we have. There was a person taken to hospital who was under 18 who was suffering from the effects of alcohol. The person is okay but it was a precautionary thing as she was virtually unconscious.”

The Inspector praised the work carried out by the organisers of the event and said their presence was no reflection on how the dance was run.

It was only a fortnight ago that The Orcadian carried a front page story about a youngster found dangerously ill in toilets at a dance in the YM Hall in Longhope. It was reported that a number of youngsters had travelled to the dance from the Mainland, carrying alcohol. Two GPs on Hoy, Dr Tony Trickett and Dr Paul Kettle, issued a stark warning to people that it is only a matter of time before teenage drinking claims another young life.