- Boozers caught drinking on the streets of Blackpool could find themselves barred from off-licences across the town. It comes as part of a new scheme aimed at getting off-licence bosses to work together to help police stamp out drinking on the streets. Under the Off-Licence Forum, launched on Wednesday, shop owners and managers selling booze are being encouraged not to serve known street drinkers. As part of the initiative, the first in the UK, the business people have already been handed pictures of 12 serial boozers police are aiming to get off the streets and have agreed to attend monthly update meetings. In the coming months the 12 off-licences signed up to the scheme could also be linked up to the town link system to alert each other and police of the nuisance customers. Police community support officer, Peter Rae, said: "We're delighted with the response we've had, the 12 stores we've contacted have been as keen as mustard to get involved." This is Lancashire
- Convictions are less likely in rape cases involving alcohol despite recent legislation designed to the contrary, new research contends. Ahead of the Christmas party season, researchers from King's College London say that juries are more lenient towards defendants in rape cases involving alcohol because it is easier to prove consent was given. In a move to make defendants more accountable the 2003 Sexual Offences Act resulted in the prosecution needing to prove the defendant lacked reasonable belief that consent had been given, rather than the previous wording of 'honestly believing he had received consent'. But test juries in simulated trials involved in today's study said that it was reasonable for a man to deem silence as consent, even if this silence was a result of alcohol intoxication. Other findings of the research commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council are that women are still deemed partially responsible even if they are rendered involuntarily drunk by accepting alcohol, while the prosecution must also prove that defendants specifically intended to rape someone by spiking their drinks. inthenews.co.uk
- Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame has called for better regulations and a code of conduct to end "idiotic" supermarket drink promotions. Speaking at the Community Pubs Inquiry, Neame said: "I find it surprising - and many in the trade find it galling - that the pub trade has come forward a quantum leap in recent years and you will never see an advert in a local paper which says come to my pub and get two drinks for the price of one but every day you see supermarket ads saying exactly that. Surely they have to have a code of conduct that is commensurate with the on-trade. The mindset of today's youth is you do not go to the pub if you want to get blattered - you go to the off-trade. Morning Advertiser
- Takeaways could be forced to supply and empty bins outside their premises under new rubbish controls. Promotional flyers which end up littering the streets of the borough's towns and beaches are also being targeted under proposals by West Norfolk Council – which is considering charging individuals and companies for permission to distribute them. Under powers given to them by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, the authority is considering implementing Street Litter Control Notices on takeaway shop owners and Controls on the Distribution of Free Printed Material, to cover the main commercial areas of Lynn, Downham, Hunstanton and Hunstanton promenade. Traders, parish and town councils, ward members and bodies representing commercial and tourism interests will be consulted on the new powers, which, if exercised, are expected to come into force by the end of March. Kings Lynn Today
- Hundreds of pupils in the East Midlands have been suspended or expelled from school because of drink or drugs, the BBC has learned. Figures obtained using the Freedom of Information Act showed 775 pupils were excluded for drink or drugs in the year 2005/06, with 48 permanent exclusions. The punishments were for those caught with or selling drugs or alcohol.BBC News
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