POLICE officers armed with hand-held camcorders are filming youngsters hanging out late at night, then sending letters to their parents.

A team of nine officers have, in the last six weeks, undertaken late night patrols of Coney Hall and West Wickham, both well-known hang-out spots for youths.

As part of the initiative, known as Operation Lawrence, officers catch youths on video and talk to them about their reasons for being on the streets.

Parents are then sent letters inviting them to speak to police officers about their children's night-time activities.

On one occasion, officers identified youths and vehicles brought to their attention by worried members of the public. Alcohol was then confiscated from several under-age drinkers, as well as five pieces of cannabis. One girl was taken home to her parents.

Operation Lawrence head Inspector Paul Etheridge said: "We approach the kids with a hand-held camera and take pictures of the street scene. We may use the pictures in the future for identification purposes.

"We chose the locations because of reports from residents about disorder."

Operation Lawrence will be extended to Eden Park rail station in the future.

Residents who have concerns about public disorder can email details to bromley.public.info@met.police.uk

November 27, 2001 10:35