£80 fines will keep Consett streets trouble-free
Apr 22 2009 by Joanne Butcher, The Journal
DRUNKEN troublemakers in County Durham will be waking up with more than a bad hangover. From this Friday, police will be slapping offenders in Consett town centre with a hefty £80 fine.
Officers will also be able to ban louts from certain areas to help keep the streets safe.
The double whammy crackdown is designed to target the drunk and disorderly, and those responsible for creating a nuisance, causing harassment and other low-level anti-social behaviour.
Neighbourhood Insp Dave Turner is confident the new measures will have a big impact on alcohol-fuelled offending in the town on Friday and Saturday nights.
“The penalty notice scheme is a new weapon in our arsenal to deal with the behaviour that can blight communities and create bad reputations for neighbourhoods,” he said.
“Yobs who think they can do what they like and get away with it can think again. This is going to hit them hard in their pockets.
“Those who set out to cause problems and are issued with the notice will also have their photographs and fingerprints taken on new hand-held computers to ensure there is no hiding place.”
The move also promises to give officers extra time to concentrate on more serious crime.
