VIOLENT CRIME SOARS

VIOLENT CRIME SOARS BY OVER FIFTY PERCENT

Violent crime soars by OVER 50% after 24 hour drinking

Serious violent attacks in pubs and nightclubs have rocketed by more than 55 per cent since the introduction of 24-hour drinking, it was revealed last night. The 'appalling' figures come from the first police force to produce a detailed breakdown of the mayhem taking place since the changes were forced through. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has already promised a review, will now come under increased pressure to reverse the liberalisation. Devon and Cornwall Police said 67 violent crimes in the most serious category - which includes murder, attempted murder, manslaughter and wounding - were recorded at licensed premises in the 12 months following the relaxation, which took place in November 2005. There were only 43 such offences in the 12 months before drinking laws were changed. The overall increase is an alarming 56 per cent. Figures also show that between November 2006 and June this year there have already been 34 serious crimes - suggesting the worrying trend is continuing. Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, said: "Yet again the public have to face the consequences of the Government's cavalier approach to public safety. "We warned the Government time and time again to pilot 24-hour drinking so that its consequences could be properly assessed allowing it to then be rolled out appropriately and proportionately. "The Government ignored our calls and chose to simply unleash it on our towns and communities leading to the increase in violent crime we see today." "The police used to be able to focus their efforts according to drinking times. "The problem now is that you have got sporadic incidents at unpredictable times when police resources are already very thinly stretched. "This type of rise in serious violent crime is a real and growing problem and the Government has got to do something about it." The Government recently published its own research into the relaxation of opening hours, which revealed there were 1,087,000 violent attacks by drunks in the first full year of 24-hour drinking - up 64,000 on the previous year. Some drink-related assaults increased by more than 130 per cent between 3am and 6am, the study said. But Devon and Cornwall's figures are the first to examine how many of the worst types of attack are taking place inside pubs and clubs, where critics had predicted much of the mayhem would take place. They are a huge blow to Ministers, who claimed that round-the-clock pub opening would reduce crime. The South West force's research shows that incidents rose almost immediately after pubs and clubs were allowed to extend their opening hours. In December 2005 there were 11 serious attacks and nine in January. Violence peaked in May when there were 12 incidents - double the number in the same month in 2005. Sergeant Steve Tovagliari, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall branch of the Police Federation, said their worst fears had become a reality. He added: "We said from the outset that extending drinking hours would lead to an increase in violence - that has been borne out. "Incidents now are spread right throughout the evening to 4am or 5am because of 24-hour drinking. Officers are also having to work longer hours to deal with these incidents." The figures show that the many critics of the liberalisation, including the Daily Mail, were correct to warn that all-night pub opening would herald a rise in serious crime. Former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell pushed through the change in the face of overwhelming opposition, claiming crime would fall as Britain moved to a Continental-style 'cafe culture'. In August 2005, she said the Licensing Act was 'a serious piece of legislation intended to improve quality of life and curb crime'. Following the publication of the Home Office's own study in July, Mr Brown announced a review of the change, which was backed by his predecessor Tony Blair. The Home Office's study of 30 forces showed a rise in serious violent crime committed between 3am and 6am. Less serious woundings rose by 26 per cent between 3am and 6am. Among 18 police forces which looked specifically at incidents in city centres and near pubs and clubs, less serious woundings in the 3am to 6am time slot rocketed by 133 per cent year-on-year. The Home Office refused to publish figures which plotted the same trends for the most serious violent crimes, claiming that the data was 'not statistically significant'. Yesterday's figures from Devon and Cornwall will fuel suspicions the research will reveal a similar trend. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Data collected from 30 police forces in England and Wales from October 2004 to September 2006, including Devon and Cornwall, show no indication of an overall rise in the level of violent offences as a result of the Licensing Act 2003. "As the Prime Minister has said there are concerns around some of these issues and that is why a fuller evaluation of the impact of the new licensing regime on crime and disorder is being carried out by the Home Office, and we expect a report towards the end of the year. "The night-time economy is extremely complex; there are a range of factors and variables at play that can impact upon levels of crime and disorder." VIOLENT CRIME SOARS