NORTH Yorkshire Police says it is still making preparations for a large party which teenagers are thought to be planning at a mystery location in York this evening.

The force says it will have a 'large policing presence' in the city and will robustly deal with any offences at the gathering.

A spokesman said police had not received any information to suggest the party would not take place.

Asked how many extra officers it would have on duty in preparation for the event, he said: "This is not something we would want to disclose for operational reasons."

He gave a similar reply when asked where the youngsters were expected to gather, saying: "It's not something we would currently want to disclose. Publicising the location may increase the numbers of people to attending."

The force said last week it was aware of a post circulating on social media which was drawing interest from predominantly teenagers and encouraging people to meet up at an open area in the city.

Senior Commander for York, Superintendent Mark Khan, said then he wanted to issue a clear warning that he would have a large policing presence in York this evening.

“I make no apology for taking this event seriously," he said.

"Our residents’ quality of life is something I feel strongly about and we won’t allow a large party in a public space to get out of hand. We all have a responsibility to look after our communities and ensure everyone can enjoy the local area safely.

“I am also asking parents to please make sure you know where your children are.

“As summer draws to a close and the new academic year is set to begin imminently, I would ask you to think about the consequences that your child would face if they committed an offence which resulted in police action.”