Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest, today pointed to a new research report published by the Government which highlights the links between violent crime and binge drinking. The study reveals that binge drinkers are responsible for over half of all recorded crime, with young adult male binge drinkers having the highest rates of offending.
The report comes as the Government is phasing in controversial new licensing laws which will abolish the 11pm closing time and allow clubs and night clubs to apply for whatever opening hours they wish. In Wyre Forest, in the last year for which figures are available (2003/4), there were 2,022 violent attacks, up 9% on the previous year, and there are growing concerns that more late licensing or '24 hour' licensing may increase crime.
Mark Garnier explained,
"I am all in favour of people having a good time out. But in, for example, Kidderminster, like in towns and cities across Britain today, we are risking creating a yob culture. The right to have a drink brings with it a responsibility - the responsibility not to ruin everyone else's evening. I have lost count of the times that hard working, law abiding couples have told me they are fed up with drunks causing mayhem in the town centres. Initiatives that we have seen in Bewdley - where street drinking has been banned - have had a terrific effect on the town centre. The Government should not be undermining local council's efforts with unhelpful legislation.
"And I certainly don't agree with the Liberal Democrats' suggestion to lower the legal drinking age to 16 - this would just fuel alcohol abuse by young people.
"Binge drinking and under-age drinking have a direct link to soaring levels of violent crime - no wonder that there were 2,022 violent attacks on people across Wyre Forest last year. Yet the Labour Government's new licensing laws threaten to worsen this problem. We need to call time on yob behaviour and give local councils far more discretion on licensing rules."