'Booze bus users should be fined'

Drunk people using Westminster's "booze bus" programme should be fined £80 to help prevent repeat behaviour, according to think-tank Demos.

The London borough of Westminster and Cardiff town centre both use the programme that answers calls to pick up drunk people, gives them a sick bag and takes them back to an alcohol recovery centre — dubbed the "booze tank".

The scheme saves the NHS and ambulance authorities time and money, as they are freed up to treat people in greater need.

Demos' head of violence and extremism programme Jamie Bartlett has argued that the people treated at the booze tank should be fined a penalty notice of £80 by police when they have sobered up.

"It's about curbing the worst excesses and encouraging greater personal responsibility," said Bartlett. "We can do all we want to the price of alcohol, but the change needs to come from the people themselves."

Barlett also pointed out that the recovery centres cut necessary police resources. "It would take four or five policemen on the street to sort out who is that drunk and who isn't that bad, but just one policeman would be needed to fine those in the recovery centre," he said. "It would be like shooting fish in a barrel — they would all be in the same place.

"The fundamental point is personal responsibility."