Mum smuggles grog to Rotto

A mother of a school leaver has been caught delivering by boat an esky full of spirits to her teenage child on Rottnest Island.

Police suspect the bold bid was one of many attempts to smuggle alcohol on to the island on the first day of leavers' celebrations yesterday.

They say the esky that the woman tried to hand over to her 18-year-old schoolie contained 10 bottles of spirits, including a high-strength bottle of Bacardi 151 and a box of goon.

While the woman did not commit an offence, police were concerned the alcohol could be supplied to juveniles on the island.

Sgt Ross Eastman said one of the bottles was about twice the strength of ordinary rum.

"A 700ml bottle of tequila contains 21 standard drinks, this contains 44.7 standard drinks," he said.

"For leavers to be perhaps skolling that or using that as a shooter is very disturbing."

Sgt Eastman said the alcohol would be returned to the mother once leavers' celebrations ended.

In a separate incident, police also seized two boats containing eight cartons of alcohol and four bottles of spirits.

The teenage passengers were seen fleeing the vessels when approached by officers and police yesterday were trying to track down the owners of the boats.

Police evicted 15 adult visitors who were not affiliated with school leavers.

Celebrations were also subdued for a group of teenagers who had a bag loaded with up to 100 cans of beer seized by police after they tried to smuggle it from the ferry to their villa.

Police are unable to stop the many 18-year-old leavers on the island taking alcohol to their accommodation, although Sgt Eastman said anyone caught with a "ridiculous" quantity would have it seized by police.

Sniffer dogs went over hundreds of bags transported on the ferries but police did not find any drugs.

Scarborough 17-year-olds Courtney Mayne and Caitlin Spencer, who were among the first arrivals on Rottnest yesterday, said they planned to drink "some Malibu and goon" during their visit.

"I thought there wasn't going to be that many police here earlier," Caitlin said.

"But we'll be drinking responsibly."

But while some paced themselves, others joined in parties at units which were littered with beer cans by mid-afternoon.

I thought there wasn't going to be that many police here. " School leaver Caitlin