A COUNCILLOR who called for a crackdown on underage drinking after being attacked by drunken yobs today welcomed a weekend of police swoops.

Officers seized 100 cans or bottles of lager, eight litres of cider and several bottles of wine from children as young as 11 in Blackburn over two nights.

The move was welcomed by Coun Jim Smith, who called for action last week after being attacked in New Chapel Park, Mill Hill.

But he urged police to keep up their campaign over the coming months in a bid to stop drunken yobs.

Officers swooped on youngsters with alcohol in Ewood, Mill Hill, Lower Darwen, Livesey, Infirmary, Feniscowles, Bank Top, Revidge and Corporation Park at the weekend.

They confiscated the drink and took it back to the station where it was poured away.

Sgt Colin Dassow said the action, part of the force's Summer Nights crackdown on anti-social behaviour, was not in "direct response" to Coun Smith's comments.

But he added: "We do this quite regularly. This was to remind people of that and reiterate our stance."

He said officers had found children as young as 11 drinking and that some teenagers even had 24 packs of lager which can only be bought from supermarkets.

Sgt Dassow added: "In the future we are looking at targeting the people who buy alcohol for children by handing out £80 fines.

"People don't like seeing large groups drinking. On occasion they don't cause any problems.

"But on other occasions they sometimes fight each other and can commit petty criminal damage. And that is our biggest aim - to remove alcohol and reduce criminal damage."

Coun Smith was assaulted when he intervened in a fight between a gang of drunken youths who were fighting on August 4.

He said police needed to take more action to stop such youths who he claimed were making residents' life hell.

Today he said: "It is an excellent start by the police and I applaud them, but it needs to go on every week.

"Decent people are being terrorised by drunk kids."