SAFER Shores campaign will be in full force this summer as police across South Ayrshire ready themselves to prevent the annual influx of drunken teens to Troon beach.

Chief Inspector Gary I’Anson attended last week’s Troon Community Council (TCC) meeting to announce procedures that will be taking place on the run up to the summer months after over 6000 youths descended on Troon on Tuesday, July 18 last year.

As we previously reported, residents in the Troon demanded action after drunken youths urinated in driveways and threw bottles in gardens, causing chaos throughout the town.

Speaking previously about last year’s antics, one resident said: “There were people running on top of the cars, I had people urinating in my drive way and people throwing bottles over my fence, so I had to keep my kids at the back of the house. 

“We’re into the fourth or fifth year and this is continually happening, and I think it is now at the stage that it needs to stop in Troon.” 

Explaining the procedures, Chief Inspector Gary I’Anson, said: “There has been monthly meeting since September to draw out a plan with an Ayrshire wide view of the whole Safer Shores which takes in North Ayrshire as well.

“We have now got a multi-agency plans that now sets out different scenarios that we’ll do.

“Also, what happened over the last year was site visits to look at some of the practicalities – looking at bringing things in such as better bins in the locations, CCTV maybe at Victoria Drive [in Troon] and if there were going to be problems in Troon, to make use of the Walker Hall as it overlooks the beach and using it to keep the turnover of officers.

“There is now a weekly teleconference, so our key partners are looking ahead and looking at the weather. 

“If it is a day that is going to be, say, 18 degrees, that is a possibility for people to come to the beach – this will be marked as an ‘amber’ and if it is a complete scorcher and there’s chatter of going to the beach – this will be marked as a ‘red’.”

As part of the Safer Shores Campaign, police officers will be conducting high visibility foot and cycle patrols within the areas and will be working closely with partners including HM Coastguard Search and Rescue, British Transport Police and ScotRail to ensure people visiting the coastline stay safe.