Drinkers face three strikes ban

from the guardian

'Disorder zones' to tackle pub binges

Alan Travis, home affairs editor
Saturday January 22, 2005
The Guardian

A "three strikes and you're barred" drinking ban order is to be introduced to deal with persistent binge drinkers who cause disorder in town and city centres, it was announced yesterday.

The measure is to be accompanied by the declaration of "alcohol disorder zones" where publicans will be given a "yellow card" warning that they have eight weeks to deal with the problem or face paying the costs of extra policing, street cleaning and NHS treatment.

Ministers made clear yesterday that their plans to introduce flexible hours drinking laws in England and Wales will go ahead from November this year. But they hope yesterday's package will have drawn the sting from accusations that the change will fuel antisocial binge drinking.

The measures provoked a furious reaction from the drinks industry.

The fees for drinking licences charged to 200,000 pubs and clubs across England and Wales are also to rise sharply as part of the new regime. The cost of a new flexible hours opening licence for a large town centre "megapub" is to go up from £10 to £1,905 as a result of the introduction of "full cost recovery" fees.

But the package, which is the result of urgent talks this week between Downing Street, the Home Office, the culture department, police, local government and the drinks industry, stops short of banning cheap drink promotions such as "happy hours" or "girls drink free" which are to be discouraged under a new industry code.

With the latest quarterly crime figures due out next week ministers hope that the 12-day Christmas enforcement campaign against binge drinking will have helped to arrest the continuing rise in alcohol-fuelled violence.

Chris Fox, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said although the campaign had been publicised officers still discovered a third of targeted premises illegally selling drink to under-18s.

The Home Office minister Hazel Blears said that powers to close down for 24 hours pubs found to be persistently serving children are to be introduced alongside the extension of £80 on-the-spot fines for underage teenagers who drink alcohol, and those who sell it to them.

She said yesterday that those who have already been handed three spot fines or convictions for drunk and disorderly behaviour could in future face a drinking banning order. It will be similar to an antisocial behaviour order and will involve them being barred from pubs and clubs in a specified area for a specified period, possibly a month.

"It is very much built on the idea that it will be a swift punishment for people," said Ms Blears. "It will be a salutary lesson for those who like going out to say that you will be barred for the next four weeks."

The police admitted it would be difficult to keep track of banned drinkers but argued it would not be impossible.

"Local officers, particular in a big city, get to know the sort of people that are about and the sort of people they go around with," said Mr Fox. Publicans already informally swap photographs of those they have unofficially banned from their premises.

The culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, confirmed that the reform in drinking hours is to go ahead: "Our current licensing laws are creaking under the strain. That's why we're reforming them - to make our towns and cities safe for all, not a free-for-all.

"The steps we are proposing today send out a clear message - we will not tolerate the disorder and antisocial behaviour that blights our towns and city centres."

The package was outlined in a government consultation paper with a February 28 deadline and the changes, some of which require primary legislation, could be in place for the November start of the new licensing laws.

The drinks industry reacted angrily. Tim Martin, the chairman of the JD Wetherspoons pub chain, accused Home Office ministers of failing to think out the plans fully. "The morons in the Home Office thought it would be sexy to go for 24-hour licensing. It was never an idea which emerged from pubs. To me, this all seems like last-minute chaos."

The British Beer and Pub Association complained that the alcohol disorder zones would penalise the responsible majority for the actions of the irresponsible few.

Mark Oaten, for the Liberal Democrats, congratulated the government for standing up to the drinks industry, but the Conservatives were sceptical the proposals would have any impact and renewed their calls for the change in the licensing laws to be delayed.