Increasing level of drunkenness and drug-taking blamed in part for rise in Cork assaults

An increasing level of drunkenness and drug-taking is being blamed in part for a rise in assaults in Cork city and county.

A meeting of the Cork City and County Joint Policing Committee heard there were 290 assaults causing harm reported in the region between January and August this year, which was up from 240 for the comparable period last year.