Street drinkers escape £80 fine in council blunder
Anti-social drinkers in a London borough have escaped fines despite a pledge from licensing chiefs to crack down on disorder.
Enfield Council extended alcohol control zones into eight new areas of the borough in July - but forgot to put up signs advising street drinkers they were now liable to £80 fines for disorder.
As a result, local police could not impose fines across the summer months.
A council spokesman said it had now put up the 500 new signs, and is pledging to work with the police to enforce a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour in the run up to the start of the new licensing regime.
Cllr Terry Neville, Enfield Council's cabinet member for the environment, said he backed the view that licensing reform would increase problems. "I entirely agree with senior judges," he said.
"I know that a significant amount of crime is related to heavy drinking. In Enfield we are well ahead of the game. "Earlier this summer the police and council ran a publicity campaign warning drinkers we will not stand for disorder.
"The message is simple - get out of line and you will face a fine."
Supt Dave Reed of Enfield Police said: "Joint operations between Enfield Police and the council will continue in order to deal with existing alcohol-related disorder.
"We will also, in partnership, identify and robustly tackle any problems that may emerge in the future."
Enfield has used its new licensing powers to limit applications for extended opening hours, with pubs including the town's JD Wetherspoon outlet, the Moon Under Water, restricted to an additional 10 minutes drinking up time to 11.30pm, despite applying for longer increases in opening hours.
Cllr Neville said: "I welcome the decisions of the licensing committee to grant only limited extensions of hours to pubs or clubs who risk causing nuisance in predominately residential areas.
"I am determined not to let Enfield become some sort of Faliraki on-the-Lea.
"We will ensure that the council's environmental health department make the correct representations to the committee so we can protect residents' quality of life."
Pictured: Croydon's Council's drinking control area signs.
