POLICE will drag parents in for questioning if their kids continue to cause trouble in Dunfermline town centre. 

Officers are getting tough after “an escalation” in anti-social behaviour in the past month, with intimidating gangs of up to 50 youths drinking alcohol, taking drugs, abusing staff at Dunfermline Bus Station and urinating in public. 

There have been fights – one mass brawl spilled into the Tesco store on Carnegie Drive – a youth was caught with a knife and in a “mindless act”, a fire extinguisher was hurled from the Duracord building onto Pilmuir Street. 

Some of those involved were just TWELVE. 

Names were taken by police on Friday and Saturday and Community Sergeant Neil McGurk told the Press: “If these individuals continue to come to light in the future their parents will be asked to attend Dunfermline Police Station where they will have to provide an explanation of why their child is involved and what they have done to prevent it. 

“This is not just a police issue – this is also a parenting issue. We will also involve social work, education and housing where appropriate.

“Police will be taking robust action until the problem is resolved, and youths will be stopped and spoken to and asked why they are in the area. 

“If they cannot provide a reasonable explanation they will be moved on.”

There have been a spate of incidents near the Tesco store in the past month and also at Dunfermline Bus Station, where staff have complained of gangs of youths drinking alcohol and taking drugs. 

Sgt McGurk said: “These youths are intimidating the public and verbally abusing staff when told to move on. Boys and girls have also been seen urinating in full view of the public.”

And he added: “I don’t accept the ‘nothing else to do’ argument as there are numerous activities on offer to use their time productively: football coaching at Woodmill High, twilight basketball at Dunfermline High and the youth club within Carnegie Leisure Centre to highlight but a few.

“If they can afford drink and drugs they can afford to attend a youth club or cinema or bowling or any of the other numerous facilities at their disposal.

“We will, however, continue to deploy the street football pitch at Tesco car park and it will be available between 6.30and 9pm tonight (Thursday). “This is free of charge so no excuses!”

Responding to the trouble, Police Scotland and Fife Council launched a joint initiative, Operation Caber, with patrols on Friday and Saturday. 

Sgt McGurk said: “On both nights, groups of up to 50 youths were found at Tesco car park and the bus station, in possession of alcohol, intimidating customers, causing a nuisance to staff and shouting and swearing at them when told to move on. 

“Some were as young as 12. 

“These youths are not all from the Dunfermline area but are travelling in from surrounding villages, causing nuisance on the public transport.”

He said that a man had been identified as buying alcohol for the group, with enquiries ongoing, and more than 40 names were noted and letters sent to parents making them aware of their child’s involvement.

Sgt McGurk said: “We must have support from the parents to solve this issue. There is a responsibility on them to ensure they know where their child is at night and to prevent them from committing crime or abusing alcohol and other substances.”

He added: “I am aware that not all kids choose to hang about the streets.

"Some use their time productively and sensibly with friends, however, we will continue to be proactive in protecting the public and stamp out this seemingly growing trend.”