Chief Constable's statement in full

Everyone in Cheshire has been shocked by the death of Garry Newlove. We are supporting his family and making sure that all those responsible are brought to justice.

While I cannot discuss the details of this investigation, as people have been charged with murder, Garry’s tragic death has reopened an important debate on the causes of antisocial behaviour, and how we all need to address the problems caused by a minority of young people.

Every night of the week Cheshire officers and our PCSOs are engaged in a constant battle against antisocial behaviour and alcohol-induced violence.

I was out on patrol in Warrington for part of Friday evening - the night that Garry Newlove was attacked - and saw the way PCSOs, Special Constables and neighbourhood beat officers were working together to try and control disorder and street drinking.

More officers on the streets working with the local council has significantly reduced criminal damage and antisocial behaviour. But, by any measure, there is still a long way to go. Across the force area, on estates and in villages, groups of young people gather, sometimes in large numbers and officers constantly break the groups up, seize alcohol, take names and send letters home to parents. When we have evidence, we prosecute.

Parents should be the key to tackling this problem. They are responsible for their children - and that responsibility is not abdicated when they become teenagers. Parents need to provide an understanding of what is right and wrong, a sense of social responsibility, and guidance through these key years. This is sometimes forgotten by a small number of parents.

Most of the bad behaviour is fuelled by alcohol - much of it supplied by adults - including some parents. I know that a hard core of parents turn a blind eye to the fact that their youngsters are out there, drinking under age and congregating in places where they cause nuisance to others.

Young males in particular are far more aggressive and prone to use violence when they have been drinking.

Alcohol is too cheap and too readily available and is too strong. Young people cannot handle it.

The policy of seizing alcohol from young people is often of limited use when those young people can get their hands on more alcohol so easily.

I would support a power for police officers to order groups of young people home when they are causing a nuisance without having to designate a whole area a dispersal zone.

I would like to see the price of alcohol raised, particularly higher strength beers.

I would like it to be easier for the whole of a town or city to be designated as a no-drinking area and more joint work with schools and other agencies to target those young people regularly on the streets drinking and their families.

There is a hard core of young men not in work, education, or training and at great risk of being drawn into criminality and disorder that are causing concern to the police, and those agencies who work with us.

The police are committed to tackling this group by enforcing the law and by working with others to divert as many of them as possible from a life of crime.

We cannot have a society where adults feel scared to go out and challenge youngsters up to no good as this just breeds fear and isolation.

All parents have a responsibility to make sure that we eradicate the problems caused by groups of youths, who intimidate and threaten local people going about their lawful business.

The police cannot do it alone. We are doing everything we can, within our resources and powers, but it is not enough.

To see the issue of antisocial behaviour by teenagers as a problem for the police to resolve is naive - as a nation I believe we need those who sell the alcohol to young people, those who price strong alcohol so cheaply, those who promote alcohol as glamorous, those parents who turn a blind eye to where their children are, those teenagers who ignore the rights of others to live without intimidation or abuse - we need all these elements of our society to rack their conscience and consider what duty they have to beat the scourge of anti-social behaviour by young people.

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