UNDERAGE drinking in Torpoint is not being seen as a problem by some young people in the town — despite police attention on illegal boozers.

With exams starting across the UK, teenagers will have much to celebrate over the next few months as schools draw to a close — but that will also mean teenage drinking.

Police in South East Cornwall have this year put the spotlight on the problem of teenage boozing by rolling out a theatre production highlighting the dangers of alcohol to Year 9 pupils.

But young people in Torpoint have spoken out to The School's Herald — and they say they don't see a problem.

Torpoint, a town referred to as the 'gateway to Cornwall', has a population of about 8,500 people and is home to 13 pubs and bars, and one nightclub.

However, due to the expense and time taken in travelling across the water to Plymouth, Torpoint can be seen by some as an ideal place for underage drinkers to test their chances at being served.

But The School's Herald has found that many young people don't see this as such a bad thing.

Tom Booth, a pupil at Torpoint Community College, said: "I don't think underage drinking is a problem.

"If young people don't do it and experience the ups and downs that comes with alcohol then they'll never learn until it's too late.

"As long as they don't harm anyone I think it's fine."

The region's police force rolled out a theatre production across Cornish secondary schools, including those in Looe and Torpoint, highlighting the dangers of alcohol, in March.

Trained actors delivered the production, called Blitz, to inform Year 9 students about the effects of alcohol.

The play also encouraged them to think about how they would handle certain situations that might arise if they were drinking.

A pub watch scheme enforced in Torpoint, which promotes the idea of 'banned from one, banned from all', works to unite the pubs and bars in order to prevent the possibility of violence or anti-social behaviour occurring.

Partners And Communities Together meetings at the town's council chambers also allow the neighbourhood policing team to discuss issues in Torpoint and deal with them.

Alongside that, police officers are always present on a typical weekend night and are known among those who go out regularly in Torpoint.

The School's Herald was told that the police tend to increase in numbers if trouble has occurred.

Ben Smith, 23, a barman at The Kings Arms pub, said: "Violence isn't a huge problem in Torpoint as everyone tends to know one another — however there can be some trouble between locals and drinkers from Plymouth, but the police always deal with any situations comfortably.

"Underage drinking isn't continuously a problem as the relationship between the police and security within pubs is good. They respond well."

But Seamus Clancy, 19, a student living in Torpoint, gave his view on underage drinking as an increasing problem internationally.

He said: "I think underage drinking is and isn't an issue. Far too many underage people are drinking and in abnormal quantities.

"However, on the continent, most European countries' legal drinking age is 16 and they do not suffer the same binge drinking problems."

New statistics reveal that a shocking number of children in the UK are abusing alcohol.

Figures obtained this year show that the number of youngsters being put through the countries' courts for alcohol-related incidents is on the rise.

In 2003, the number of under-18s dealt with by the authorities for drink-related misdemeanours was 6,764.

By 2007, this figure had risen to 8,686.

Over the same period the number of 13 to 15-year-olds being issued with police warnings because of drink was up by 17.4 per cent.

Those in the same age group who appeared in court because of alcohol rose by nearly 20 per cent.

Sgt Angela Crow, neighbourhood team leader at Torpoint Police Station, told The School's Herald that a 'small' number of youngsters drink alcohol in the town.

She said: "The Torpoint local policing team does not receive regular reports specifically about underage drinking, however it is clear that a small number of young people who come to our attention have been drinking alcohol and this has affected their behaviour.

"The local policing team works closely with young people, licensed premises and the town council to ensure that Torpoint remains a safe place for everyone."