INITIAL findings of a five-month drugs and alcohol probe have revealed that Eastleigh does not appear to have a significant drugs problem - particularly when it comes to hard drugs.

But the borough does have a problem with alcohol misuse. It is a situation which is worrying the authorities, especially where young people are concerned.

That was the message given to Eastleigh's Drugs Action Reference Group - a multi-agency group that has direct associations in dealing with drug and alcohol misuse and abuse - by Matthew Hayman from Eastleigh and Test Valley South Primary Care Trust.

Mr Hayman was appointed by the PCT in December to carry out an extensive audit of drug-taking, drugs and alcohol misuse, plus drugs availability within the Eastleigh area.

His appointment was seen as a welcome boost by the Eastleigh Community Safety Partnership, which sets the agenda for tackling crime and disorder, and especially by Eastleigh police and Eastleigh Borough Council. Funded by the Eastleigh Community Safety Partnership, 24-year-old Mr Hayman has been working extensively throughout the borough during the past five months, bringing agencies together to tackle drugs and alcohol misuse in the area, particularly among younger people.

He will now be working to set up initiatives to help reduce the associated problems of drugs and alcohol misuse.

The initiatives will form the Eastleigh Community Safety Partnership's action plan which will run for the next 12 months. They include:

Working with local schools and colleges on education programmes.

Establishing community-based groups to address local problems

Examining the possibility of a responsible licensee scheme for the borough to tackle the supply of alcohol.

Mr Hayman said: "Clearly there is a lot of work to be done and I am now looking forward to the challenge of the next 12 months helping to implement the recommendations."