POLICE have defended their handling of an incident which marred the aftermath of the Bedale community bonfire and fireworks display.

Sgt Geoff Bush, who manages the Bedale police area, was challenged about his officers' response and about problems of under-age drinking.

The questions came from the town council, which on Monday received an angry letter from bonfire committee chairman John Noone.

Sgt Bush said that on the same night police were dealing with 200 drunken football supporters in Northallerton and he had to justify where he placed his officers.

Mr Noone said that after the public had gone home on November 1, barriers which had been erected around the bonfire in Bedale Hall park following vandalism last year were breached by about 50 teenage youths.

The barriers were replaced and a call made to the police who, when they arrived, spoke to the youths and then left the park.

When the barriers were broken for a second time, Mr Noone said the police were called by dialling 999, because it was impossible to get through on the normal numbers. He decided to ask firefighters to extinguish the fire.

Mr Noone said that when the fire engine arrived the youths started fighting with the two firefighters. A bottle hit one of the firefighters and the youths tried to pull the water hose away from them.

Youths climbed all over the engine, pulling off items such as traffic cones.

Mr Noone said that when police eventually arrived they moved the youths away from the fire. He added: "There were no arrests and no one was escorted off the park. It begs the question: do we have any protection whatsoever?"

Sgt Bush said: "On that night we were having to deal with 200 drunken Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters who thought Northallerton was a nice place to be.

"I have to justify where my resources have to be. I am sorry - 200 drunken football supporters take precedence."

Mr Noone, who was in the public gallery, interjected heatedly: "A firefighter went to the police car and asked what they were going to do about it.

"The whole thing was completely out of hand. I accept your problem in Northallerton, but when police finally arrived not a single boy was challenged about his behaviour. I am not going to be faced with that again.

"If we had slapped one of these kids, the first thing you would have done would have been to arrest us."

Sgt Bush replied that no official complaints or statements had been made at the time and added: "If I get names and evidence I will act on it. The children were escorted from the town and put into taxis to be sent to their home addresses.

"We brought up resources for the bonfire, had to take them away to Northallerton and brought them back again."

Coun Ellen Dunning, the deputy mayor, asked whether most of the youths had been the worse for drink and said: "It bothers me that a lot of them might have had Dutch courage and had been playing in the children's play area half the night. We don't seem to be addressing the under-age drinking problem."

Sgt Bush said a system was in place for alcohol suppliers to challenge people who they believed were under-age and incidents were recorded.

"They have no reason to refuse to sell to anyone over 18 unless they think they are going to take it to the park or give it to people under age."

Sgt Bush said police had asked licensees to mark bottles so that if empty ones were found they could be traced to the source.

He said licensing laws needed to be changed and North-allerton had already looked at a ban on drinking in public places. Off licences had a bigger responsibility and should not sell alcohol on Friday or Saturday nights if they knew or believed it would be given to young people in Bedale Hall park.

Coun Mike Batty said people in North End were considering the formation of a residents' group, because they had had enough of problems which included youngsters gathering in the park until 2am and others sitting in cars playing radios until 4am.

He pointed out that an officer had the authority to ask for the name of any youngster in public and told Sgt Bush: "The police need to get hold of their system because they are losing it."

It was agreed that the problems discussed should be the subject of a special meeting involving the town council, the police and Bedale Hall management committee