THE countdown is now on for the introduction next week of the new alcohol licensing laws. But rather than celebrate the arrival of round- the-clock opening, Alton should brace itself for a major crackdown on alcohol related crime and disorder. Hampshire Constabulary began its Christmas campaign on Tuesday with a warning to revellers "not to fall foul of the law". And Alton Town Council has decided to investigate the possible introduction in the town of alcohol restriction zones. The designation would enable police to control the consumption of alcohol in public places, using a range of discretionary powers including a requirement for people who are creating a nuisance to cease drinking and/or surrender the alcohol, with on-the-spot fines and possible imprisonment for those who fail to comply. The initiative is seen as a way of supporting the police in tackling alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour on the streets. Introduced under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, and amended by the Licensing Act 2003, Winchester City Council has recently imposed a widely publicised alcohol restriction in the city centre to enable the police to stop people drinking in public. The city was following in the footsteps of Kingsclere, the first area in Hampshire to implement such an order, and it was Kingsclere parish councillor Peter Woodman who addressed Alton Town Council's recreation committee on the matter. There was, he said, a growing trend across the county for young people, in particular, to gather and drink together in public and act in an anti-social way, which can make other people feel unsafe, and that was what was happening in Kingsclere. According to Mr Woodman, Kingsclere's experience was long drawn out due to confusion over what sort of restriction the village actually wanted to impose. Many people wanted a blanket ban on alcohol consumption but this was later modified to cover those areas of open space labelled as alcohol-related trouble spots. While a public consultation revealed that some areas, like the sports centre, did not want to be included because it ran a bar, the order eventually imposed was not a ban but a designation which gave the police discretionary powers to stop people drinking when necessary. A major consideration was the funding and Mr Woodman explained the costs involved in posting statutory public notices to advertise the introduction of alcohol restriction zones and in the provision of zone signs, which had put a considerable strain on the parish precept. It was, he stressed, vital that members of the public report any alcohol-related incidents to the police. "The public are the eyes and ears of the community and without them this project cannot work," he said. Kingsclere is waiting until the summer season to see just how effective the order is, and if the police will be able to support the initiative well enough to make it work. In the meantime, local taxi drivers have already noticed the difference when picking up at night with people now feeling safe to go out at night. In claiming that Alton does have strong support from the police, Alton Town Mayor Paddy Mendham said the council would be keeping a keen eye on developments in Kingsclere and would certainly investigate further the possible introduction in the town of a similar order. It was, however, agreed to write to the police asking how useful they thought such an initiative would be, bearing in mind they already have powers to stop underage drinking. At that same meeting it was also agreed that continued provision of security patrols would be top of the recreation project list for next year, with the patrols expected to be operational in the town for seven months at a cost of round £21,000. In the meantime, amid fears that extended opening hours could add unwelcome fuel to the binge-drinking culture, Hampshire Constabulary intends to take a firm stand against alcohol-related crime in the run-up to Christmas. They have joined police forces across the country to take part in the Home Office's third Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC). During the six-week initiative, police will work with trading standards officers to carry out enforcement visits, test purchasing and undercover operations to ensure off licence and pub staff are not selling alcohol to children or people who are already drunk. A poster campaign will also target bar staff and remind them that they could face an £80 fine if they break the law and serve drunks or under-18s. As part of the force's Safer Streets campaign, high visibility police patrols will use £80 fines to target people who are drunk and disorderly, as well as those who vomit or urinate in public. When people are arrested for being drunk and disorderly they will also be asked where they bought their alcohol to help police build up intelligence about premises that are serving drunks. Officers will confiscate alcohol from children and people drinking alcohol in designated no drinking areas.
