POLICE arrested a man suspected of supplying girls with Class A drugs during a night-time operation to protect teenagers on Torquay harbourside.

The arrest took place in Fleet Street after plain clothes officers saw a man apparently handing a substance to a girl who then put it in her handbag.

Police Constable Chris Moore, who headed the ongoing operation, code-named Stay Safe, said: "The man has been identified as providing illegal substances to young girls. He was located and arrested.

"Despite extensive inquiries, checking CCTV and speaking to door staff we could not find the girl, who we believe was about 15 years old.

"He was in possession of what we suspect were Class A drugs."

During Operation StaySafe, patrols of officers, street wardens, PCSOs and representatives from the Youth Offending Team, confiscated alcohol from under-age drinkers as young as 10 on Torquay's Harbourside.

Police also spoke to 16 youths and took one vulnerable 15-year-old girl back to the safe house at the security office at Fleet Walk's multi-storey car park last Friday night.

They patrolled car parks and alleyways in and around Torwood Street, Union Street and Winter Gardens.

They confiscated four two-litre bottles of cider and eight cans of lager and informed parents of the whereabouts of their children, arranging for them to be picked up and taken home.

One man was charged and bailed for possession of Class A drugs.

Constable Moore said: "We want to raise parents' awareness and ask them 'do you know where your child is?' A lot of the time they think they are staying the night at a friend's house and they are completely unaware that they are in the town drinking."

Sergeant Seth Saunders, who has recently joined the harbourside team, said young people 'gravitate' towards the harbourside having consumed alcohol at home first. They then get into licensed premises using false identification.

"If young people are going to come out drinking, it's likely they will gravitate towards the harbourside," he added.

"The problem is exacerbated when young people drink at home or go out and about drinking with friends before coming into town and they are already under the influence."

Sergeant Saunders said police worked with licensed premises in a 'joint approach' to tackle under-age drinking and antisocial behaviour.

Parents were often 'relieved' when they found their children's whereabouts and were pleased they had been given the chance to collect them from town rather than the police station.

The patrols also work closely with CCTV officers who help to identify vulnerable youths and to catch offenders.

Officers also spoke to a Welsh stag group who were ejected from The London Inn and Mambo.