About 100 youths, many of them drunk, travelled by train to Yatton for a late-night party on village playing fields.

Most of them took trains to the village and British Transport Police are being urged to step up patrols as a result.

Nearly 20 police officers, including a dog handler, were called to Hangstones Pavilion earlier this month to deal with a group of 100 youths who had descended on the village playing fields for a late-night party.

The youths had come from Bedminster, Backwell and Weston-super-Mare laden with alcohol. They then made their way to the playing fields at Stowey Road for the party.

Police from Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead, were called, just before 9pm on January 9, after people reported a large group of youths in the area drinking and behaving badly.

Officers took scores of bottles and cans of vodka, cider and beer off the youths, before gathering the group together and taking them back to the station to pack them on to trains home.

Local officers contacted the British Transport Police and asked them to send officers to ensure the youths got home without further trouble.

Now officers in North Somerset have asked their counterparts at the British Transport Police to step up patrols on trains passing through the area on weekend nights. Beat officers in Bedminster, Worle, Yatton and Weston-super-Mare have also been asked to step up patrols of train stations.

Clevedon Sergeant Gareth Starr, who is responsible for policing in Yatton, said he hoped extra patrols would prevent further incidents.

Sergeant Starr said: "The problem with Hangstones is an ongoing one and we are working with other agencies to look at how we solve the issue with youth gathering there at night."

A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: "British Transport Police officers regularly patrol the railway line in the Yatton area and will continue to do so. We continuously ensure that our resources are deployed where they are most needed."