MORE than 900 cans of beers and cider were confiscated from youths, 52 letters sent to parents and 112 people stopped and searched during a criminal damage operation by police in Newport.

Incidents of criminal damage were cut by 5.2 per cent during Operation Collateral, which ran from October 2007 to April 2008.

Police tactics aimed to stop youths drinking alcohol on the streets and prevent their behaviour from leading to criminal damage.

Beer and cider cans, as well as bottles of spirits, were taken from teenagers and letters were sent to their parents to inform them of what their children were up to.

Officers also filmed youths behaving antisocially so footage could be shown to parents.

Four youngsters were arrested and charged for a spate of damage to 80 cars, another four charged with arson and harassment, and one youth charged with an arson attack on Gaer Junior School.

Test purchases were carried out on licensed premises in partnership with Trading Standards, resulting in three fixed penalty notices for selling alcohol to underage people.

The Probation Service arranged for graffiti to be cleaned-up in areas of Newport after referrals from the police and council.

Sergeant Martyn Smith, who led Operation Collateral, said: "Reducing incidents of anti social-behaviour and criminal damage will make communities feel that their environment is a safer and better place to live.

Chief Inspector Simon Jeffries added: "There is a definite link between criminality and untidy, uncared for environments. By forging close links with the local authority's Pride In Newport campaign, hundreds of tones of waste have been removed from the city's streets."