New British drink laws dangerous warn police

BRITAIN’S top police officers warned of the dangers of longer drinking hours yesterday as government plans to allow round-the-clock licences came into effect.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) questioned whether it was wise to extend opening hours at a time when Britain was gripped by a “culture of excessive drinking.” It said increasingly late licences and the binge drinking epidemic had already led to a sharp rise in drink-fuelled violence and antisocial behaviour.

Unless there was a more “holistic” approach to tackling the booze culture, more and more police resources would be used up tackling drunken yobs, ACPO warned.