Police chief urges action on underage drinking


James Orr
Tuesday August 14, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

A senior police officer leading the inquiry into the killing of Garry Newlove today branded alcohol "too cheap" and "too strong" for young people to handle.

The Cheshire police chief constable, Peter Fahy, called for tougher measures to help fight the "scourge" of underage drinking, and insisted the price of alcohol should be raised to prevent alcohol-induced violence by youngsters.

The officer blamed a hard core of parents who chose to turn a blind eye to their children drinking under age and causing a nuisance to others.

"Every night of the week Cheshire officers and our community support officers are engaged in a constant battle against antisocial behaviour and alcohol-induced violence," he said.

"Parents should be the key to tackling this problem. They are responsible for their children - and that responsibility is not abdicated when they become teenagers. Parents need to provide an understanding of what is right and wrong, a sense of social responsibility, and guidance through these key years."

Mr Fahy added: "Alcohol is too cheap and too readily available and is too strong. Young people cannot handle it. I would like to see the price of alcohol raised, particularly higher strength beers."

Father-of-three Mr Newlove, 47, was attacked outside his home in Warrington, Cheshire, last week and died from a head injury in Warrington hospital on Sunday with his family at his bedside.

Three boys appeared at Runcorn youth court today charged with Mr Newlove's murder.

Speaking at a press conference today, Mr Fahy took the opportunity to air his views on the problems associated with teenage drinking.

He said: "Everyone in Cheshire has been shocked by the death of Garry Newlove. While I cannot discuss the details of this investigation, as people have been charged with murder, Garry's tragic death has reopened an important debate on the causes of antisocial behaviour and how we all need to address the problems caused by a minority of young people."

Mr Fahy said parents, communities and the manufacturers of alcoholic drinks all had to "rack their conscience" and consider their duty to beat what he called the "scourge of antisocial behaviour by young people".

To view underage drinking solely as a problem for police to solve, he said, was naive, and he called for new initiatives to make easier the creation of alcohol-free zones within towns and cities.

He continued: "I would support a power for police officers to order groups of young people home when they are causing a nuisance without having to designate a whole area a dispersal zone.

"I would like it to be easier for the whole of a town or city to be designated as a no-drinking area and more joint work with schools and other agencies to target those young people regularly on the streets drinking and their families.

"We cannot have a society where adults feel scared to go out and challenge youngsters up to no good as this just breeds fear and isolation.

"The police cannot do it alone. We are doing everything we can, within our resources and powers, but it is not enough."


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