Young people under the age of 18, supervised by adults, have been visiting off-licences in the town and trying to buy alcohol.

The visits, part of an ongoing campaign, are being monitored by police officers from Washington, and trading standards officials.

Although the majority of off-licences have obeyed the law, two shops so far have supplied alcohol to the youngsters, and police are considering further action.

'Juvenile disorder'

The off-licence checks are being made following concerns from the local community about youngsters drinking in Washington.

Sergeant Gordon Makepeace, of Northumbria Police, said: "We take juvenile disorder within the community very seriously and will endeavour to tackle this problem.

"We accept that alcohol, which is sometimes all too easy to get, is a factor and we will continue to tackle the problem.

"We should remember that alcohol abuse in young people is of great concern. "

In early December, police in Sunderland seized a van which contained £3,000 worth of alcohol, which officers believed was destined for local teenagers.