I would like to clarify the situation regarding the Friday night sessions held at the Sweatbox youth centre in Wantage (Oxford Mail, March 2).

Firstly, I don’t believe we should be breathalysing young people wanting to attend an event at a youth centre. If they appear to be under the influence of alcohol then they should be banned from the centre, their parents should be informed and asked to collect them.

The proposed use of breathalysers is not the reason for the temporary postponement of musical events at the centre. The Friday night event at the Sweatbox has become a very popular and large event, however the top priority has to be the safety and well-being of the young people who attend, and I believe we are acting responsibly by conducting a review. This is something we are carrying out as quickly as possible.

We positively encourage events, musical or otherwise, and do not want to stop any young people in Oxfordshire from having somewhere to go to enjoy themselves. However, the top priority has to be their safety and well-being.

In the meantime we have offered to have a public meeting to listen to people’s concerns and a drop-in session will still operate on a Friday evening so that young people still have somewhere to go.

Louise Chapman Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families Oxfordshire County Council