PLANS to breathalyse boozed-up teenagers at a popular youth club have been overruled by the county council, it emerged last night.

Managers at the Sweatbox, based at King Alfred’s Sport’s College in Wantage, wanted to take the radical step in a bid to stamp out drink-related trouble.

The club was closed last year after mounting problems, but had planned to reopen on Friday with breath tests for some youngsters.

However, Oxfordshire County Council stepped in and postponed the relaunch after deciding alcohol testing was against its youth centre policy, despite backing from police and local schools.

Youth club organiser Garry Kingett, who was not available for comment this week, previously said the idea came about after the centre was forced to close in December due to teenagers turning up “absolutely bladdered”.

He said: “We could not operate safely dealing with the amount of young people abusing alcohol. They would get drunk off their trolley and come here on a Friday night.”

Mr Kingett had also planned other measures aimed at cracking down on alcohol.

But it seems the team will have to go back to the drawing board after the county council said breathalysers would not be used at any of its youth clubs.

Simon Spiers, vice-principal at King Alfred’s Sport’s College, said: “We fully supported Garry’s plan for the relaunch and are disappointed with the county council for devastating young people in Wantage and Grove.

“Underage drinking is a problem and good on Garry for trying to tackle it. It was not just the breathalysers. Garry was going to introduce a range of measures and the plans are all on hold.”

Inspector Ian Money, from Thames Valley Police, said: “The individual who runs the youth club does not want to have children who have been consuming alcohol at the club because that has the potential for trouble and is not conducive to the children’s fun.

“We support anything that reduces anti-social behaviour, but if the leader wants to make entry to the club conditional on a breathalyser test, then that must be agreed with the county council.”

But Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Louise Mendonça said: “We are reviewing high-attendance events at the Wantage youth centre. We want to ensure that we can offer safe and appropriate activities on Friday nights.

“We will not be using breathalysers in the Wantage youth centre or any other youth provision in the county.”

“Our policy is to deliver a consistent approach to tackling issues around alcohol misuse by educating young people about the misuse of alcohol and drugs and offering support and advice and access to more specialist help when that is appropriate.”

She could not confirm when the club would reopen.

County council spokesman Paul Smith added: “Given the issues that have been raised at Wantage youth centre, the county council wants to pause, take stock and have a sensible review before deciding the best way forward.”

The centre has 1,850 members, each of whom supply their parents’ contact details.

Until it closed, about 200 youngsters visited the club each week.

bellery@oxfordmail.co.uk