A WHOLE youth group of Barmouth teenagers have spent an evening in custody.

However, the group were there of their own accord as the youngsters had been invited by Barmouth Safer Neighbourhood Team to look around the building and learn about what happens after an arrest.

The teens were given a walkthrough of custody procedures in Dolgellau.

This included a tour of the detention area, fingerprint recording and photos by retired custody Sergeant Gareth Jones who is now a PCSO.

PCSO Jones said: “This was a great opportunity to show what happens in the immediate aftermath of an arrest. We wanted to show how much work goes into custodial administration, even for minor crimes, it’s not just a slap on the wrist and then release.”

This was followed by a discussion with police community support officers Sian Davis, David Hughes and Elliw Williams about the consequences of offending.

The discussion covered the immediate and long term consequences of offending, explaining the difficulties of going to college or getting a job with a criminal record. The visitors were also treated to sausage and chips courtesy of Dolphin Fish Bar in Barmouth.

Youth club leader, Kim Roberts said: “Everyone really enjoyed exploring this aspect of policing. Being able to see for themselves what happens after an arrest will hopefully have a positive impact on their future behaviour.”

Community support officer Davis added: “The Safer Neighbourhood Team would like to thank all the youth club members who attended, the Dolgellau custody team and Dolphin Fish Bar for providing food.”

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