Alcohol Disorder Zones become law

From the Home Office

The Violent Crime Reduction Act gives police and communities stronger powers to tackle violent crimes involving alcohol, knives and imitation guns. It doubles the maximum penalty for possession of a knife from two years in prison to four years, and gives local authorities the right to charge alcohol vendors for the costs of fighting alcohol-related crime in areas with serious crime problems [Alcohol Disorder Zones].

Alcohol-related elements of the Act will:

• create 'drinking banning orders', which impose restrictions on those who commit offences while drunk, and can ban them from frequenting businesses that sell alcohol
• allow police to ban people with previous records of alcohol-related offences from visiting pubs and bars in a certain area

The Act received Royal Assent on 8th November, the final step in the process of becoming law.

See The Publican for opinions from the licensed trade.