Christmas crackdown on Swansea's booze problems

TIME is being called on booze-related crime in the countdown to Christmas.

Emergency services, along with local authority chiefs, have teamed up in a bid to drive down anti-social behaviour as the festive party season gets underway.

A series of measures have been drawn up as part of the clampdown.

Action includes high visibility policing in trouble-spots during the party season, plastic glasses being handed out in pubs and clubs in a drive to curb the risk of alcohol related injuries and taxi marshals will be out patrolling the ranks to prevent problems.

Meanwhile, a mobile CCTV vehicle will be monitoring problem areas in the city centre to keep revellers safe and to target anti-social behaviour.

The annual Call Time on Violent Crime campaign, which has been brought to the city by the Safer Swansea Partnership, kicked off on Saturday with checks carried out at pubs and clubs by the high visibility partnership team on Wind Street and The Kingsway. Police, fire and the council all make up the partnership team. City centre Inspector Cath Larkman said: "The multi-agency work carried out marks the launch of Safer Swansea's Christmas Call Time on Violent Crime campaign.

"We took tough action to address city centre problems.

"On this occasion, we focused on drug misuse in and around licensed premises and young persons trying to gain entry to premises when under-age."

The strategy led to close working with door staff, bar staff, taxi marshals and parking enforcement officers to ensure a tough line was adopted to tackle alcohol-related disorder.

Issues included the use of fake identification, ensuring licensees were upholding conditions of their licence, including handing out toughened plastic glasses on special nights and by bar staff serving drunk people.