Following the introduction of two new methods to prevent 13 to 18 year olds getting hold of alcohol, officers have made just nine alcohol-related arrests between June and August this summer compared with 21 in a similar period last year.

Sgt Peter Ferrie, of Mildenhall Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "We are very pleased with these results.

"The two new methods have combined well together in reducing the amount of alcohol that under-age drinkers have received. The little that has reached them, we have managed to seize."

The problem of under-age drinking on summer evenings was identified by police as the biggest cause of anti-social behaviour in the town centre after a meeting with residents and shopkeepers of the town.

Working in association with trading standards, police chiefs introduced a test purchase scheme to catch out shop owners selling alcohol to youths along with trying out new tester devices to check what youngsters were drinking.

Earlier in the summer, one shop was caught and fined by officers for selling alcohol to a 15-year-old girl in a trial run of the test purchase operation.

Sgt Ferrie said: "I believe that in addition to the two schemes, increased foot patrols in the town centre on Friday evenings, along with working closely with organisers of the Friday evening youth club at the town's Jubilee Centre, has helped to have this dramatic effect on crime and anti-social behaviour in Mildenhall."

Progress has also been made on attempting to reduce problems on the town's Peterhouse Close estate.

Last month, several homeowners complained to community support officers about high levels of noise and disturbance. In an effort to tackle the problem, residents and officers set up a watch group.

"We have managed to reduce the problems in that area thanks to the watch group set up between officers and residents," said Sgt Ferrie. "This will continue to run until the problem is solved."

Residents in Mildenhall will be able to voice any concerns they feel need addressing by the police at a public meeting at the town's Baptist Church. The session will between 10am and noon on Friday, October 17.

Sgt Ferrie added: "The idea of this meeting is to identify any new problems residents may have so that we can make them our priority to try to resolve them."