Police using powers 'robustly' on alcohol disorder

The Government says it is encouraging police to use their powers "pretty robustly" to combat alcohol related crime in priority areas across the UK.

Deputy Head of the Home Office Alcohol Strategy Unit Mark Cooper revealed a significant proportion of a £1.5m partnership support funding pot was being used to target rowdy and disorderly behaviour in key towns and cities.

"We expect police to use their powers in these priority areas but we also expect police and licensees to work together," he told the National Pubwatch conference.

He was responding to claims by Blackpool Pubwatch chairman Dave Daly that police were ruling by fear, with licensees feeling they were almost under attack.

Cooper revealed however that Blackpool had one of the highest alcohol-related crime rates in the country.

"If we can make a significant dent in Blackpool we can make a dent in the overall statistics," he told delegates.

He revealed that consultation on the Government's proposed mandatory alcohol retailing code had revealed serving under age and the issue of licensee and barstaff training were the two biggest concerns of respondents.

But he said the main obstacle to mandatory training was the cost and the difficulties involved with launching a national scheme.

"We now have a period until April when these regulations come into force and we have to work through these issues with licensee bodies and ACPO.

"Are we still in the right direction, yes. Is it perfect? Probably not," Cooper conceded.