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Haverhill's new police chief has announced a crackdown on anti-social behaviour starting with a special operation on Friday evening, marking the beginning of half-term.

Insp Chris Galley, who took over responsibility for both Haverhill and the rural south Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SMTs) recently, said one of his main aims was to continue the reduction in anti-social behaviour recorded in St Edmundsbury over the past year.

The police will launch what they expect to be an ongoing campaign against anti-social behaviour by young people, usually fuelled by alcohol, with an operation on Friday which will involve high-visibility policing by both regular police officers and special constables.

They will be targeting areas where young people congregate and areas where complaints from the public have led to prioritisation at SNT tasking meetings.

These monthly meetings are open to the piublic and Insp Galley urged residents to attend them and report any problems so the police could be sure they were responding to people's needs.

Further tactics would be developed over the coming months, partly dependent on the results of Friday's initiative, and involving other partner agencies concerned with youth opportunities, but Insp Galley said this first operation was about enforcement.

"I want people to know that we are out there and there are officers visible to the public," he said.

Sgt Darah Bartley who heads the Haverhill SNT, said with the warmer weather and the beginning of half-term this was a time when they traditionally saw an increase in anti-social behaviour.

Specially-trained officers would be on patrol with head cameras to identify problem youths and targeting areas which jhad been selected because of public complaints.

Officers would also be visiting licensed premises in an attempt to stop under-age purchase of alcohol, but also particularly the pestering of adults outside shops by youngsters to buy alcohol for them.

They would be concentrating on the town centre alcohol-free zone, which stretches from the Sturmer roundabout almost to the Withersfield roundabout and includes the recreation ground and the railway walk.

Alcohol could be seized from people, even if it was not being drunk. A bag full of alcoholic drink could be seized if police thought it was going to be drunk in a public place.

All youths encountered would have a letter sent to their homes, and some could be taken home by police and their parents spoken to.

Sgt Bartley said most of the anti-social behaviour they were dealing with was from youngsters aged around 14, some even as young as 12.

The initiative would start eraly in the evening. "We can nip things in the bud if we seize the alcohol early," she said. "If they've drunk it it's too late because that's when further trouble starts."

Haverhill's new 'specials inspector', Gerry Kiernan, said they would be closely involved in such initiatives. There are nine special constables in Haverhill at present, and they were keen to attract more.

Over the last year they had contributed 3,500 hours and they offered flexibility to the police at the busiest times.