‘Drunk tanks’ won’t tackle issue of binge drinking culture

THERE is talk of police forces having “drunk tanks”, with those thrown in them having to pay upon their release. These will be run by the private sector.

Also, in Leeds, there is consultation with bar and club owners that stay open between 11pm and 6am, with a proposal to charge them in the region of £4,500 to help with the cost of policing.

Let’s be honest here. There is no need to start all this consultation. I realise that front line policing has been cut, but there are still enough police to deal with this binge drinking culture, if tackled correctly.

These people need to be arrested by the local police and held in cells until the Monday morning and put before the local magistrates’ courts. The time in the local police cells will give them chance to reflect on their situation and bring them back to reality, hopefully a harsh punishment from the local magistrate will bring them down to earth with a hell of a bang!

The chances are they could lose their job for not turning up on a Monday morning. Or due to a criminal record or a caution a person may not get the job one hoped for. Those in university will also have their own problems to face. This is what is needed right across the United Kingdom until the young people of today see sense.

Now the talk is of using the private sector. The private sector is there to make a profit. So this should not even be considered.

All we need is for this Government to invoke the Military Aid to the Civil Community Act and the Royal Engineers could be used to build temporary holding cells at various locations. These could be taken down when the binge drinking subsides. I expect this Conservative government will come out with the excuse that such an operation would cost too much money. Also what is needed is for the local hospitals to charge the young drunken people who call out our overstretched paramedics/ambulances to convey the drunk and injured, be it through fighting or pure stupidity, to our local accident and emergency units.

These young folk should be billed for the time and medical attention they have used while under the influence of alcohol. I understand that this is very controversial, but a casualty department is a busy place without it being inundated with young people full of drink and cut faces, being sick everywhere.

This government needs to revoke the open all hours drinking culture that Tony Blair brought in, and revoke the permission for supermarkets to sell alcohol.

That would certainly be an eye opener and a great public relations exercise for this government. Then revert to the old system of only having responsible off licences selling the nation’s alcohol.

The idea would certainly cost initially, but it would cut down on the policing bill in the long term. Plus it would make our towns and cities safer places for all walks of life in the evenings and at weekends.