Pubs face Christmas alcohol blitz

The Home Office is planning a Christmas blitz on underage drinking and alcohol-fuelled disorder.

Every police force in England and Wales has been invited to take part in the crackdown which will take place in town centres from 15 December to 1 January.

Like the earlier campaign waged in July and August it will involve a joint approach by police, local authorities and trading standards officers.

The summer operation found that 4% of pubs were committing offences in the 92 police areas that took part. Sting operations revealed that 51% of pubs were selling alcohol to under-18s.

Although the increased police activity prompted a slight increase in "lower level harassment and violent incidents", Home Office minister Hazel Blears said more serious violent crimes dropped by 9% in participating areas while other regions recorded a 1% rise.

This time round, police will be armed with new powers to impose on-the-spot £80 penalties on bar staff caught selling alcohol to underage drinkers.

"Along with the Licensing Act, the summer campaign was a step towards changing the drinking culture in this country and I hope the lessons we learned will be built upon to extend the campaign out to every area of the country next month," said Blears.

by Angela Frewin

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