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Durham clamps down on drunken behaviour
Saturday 4th October 2008
People living and visiting Durham can be reassured that drunken and anti social behaviour on the streets will not be tolerated and will be subject to enforcement from now on, thanks to a new Order being in place.
The application for a Designated Public Place Order for Durham City Centre was first discussed by the City Council's Cabinet in April 2007, After a consultation exercise with licensed premises, Durham University, the Police and a notice in the local press Cabinet also agreed to an amended area for the Order to cover and posters have been displayed on lampposts at the edge of boundary surrounding the City Centre.
The Order is now in place and Durham Police has already put the Order into practice.Councillor Carol Woods, the City's Deputy Leader and Champion Member for Nightsafe said today,"This is an effective enforcement tool but is not about banning drinking alcohol on the streets within the City Centre and certainly not where pubs and clubs have organised outside seating areas such as the Slug and Lettuce, Champagne bar and so on.
"It is about being able to confiscate alcoholic drinks and if necessary fine people who are on the pavement causing a nuisance and behaving in anti social way due to excess drink. Or even those who look like their behaviour may become a problem. It is at the discretion of the Police to make that judgement."
Tim Robson, Durham Police Licensing Sergeant for the North Area said,"This Order is a very important addition for our policing in the City Centre and the message will get through very quickly that we mean business with this.
"I must stress that we are not concerned about all the law abiding people who come to Durham and enjoy the huge choice of venues we now have in the City Centre. We are not going to tolerate those people who congregate on footpaths and that are intent on creating havoc.
"We have started using the Order and I am confident that it will begin to have an effect quite quickly."
