More calls for pubs to pay for city-centre policing

A senior police chief has renewed calls for hospitality operators to pay towards the cost of city centre policing

West Yorkshire's chief constable, Sir Norman Bettison, said too many people were drinking themselves to "oblivion" by binge drinking.

He said pubs and nightclubs with late licences allowing them to serve drinks after midnight should contribute to the cost of policing and also help to pay for late buses and "detox" facilities.

"Late night establishments are exploiting peoples' desire to drink to the state of oblivion. They ought to be paying for the consequences of that," he told the BBC.

It is estimated the cost of policing Leeds city centre on a Saturday night is more than £30,000.

Bettison also called for pubs and nightclubs to end pubs and nightclubs to end cheap drinks promotions.

"No irresponsible promotions please, no two-for-the-price-of-one," he said.

The debate on late night establishments paying towards the cost of policing has been running for a number of years.

The pub industry is fiercely opposed to the idea, arguing that it already fills the Treasury's coffers to the tune of more than £20b a year.

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By Daniel Thomas

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