- York: Court hearings for ten people charged with serving alcohol to underage drinkers have been withdrawn or will not go any further. District Judge Martin Walker had said he did not believe premises licence holders could be held liable for underage sales if procedures to prevent them were in place. Prosecutions in the city were abandoned in the wake of the decision.
The ten cases due to go ahead yesterday at York Magistrates' Court were halted after the court was told seven of the defendants had accepted cautions while cases against the three others had been withdrawn. Six of the ten defendants held premises licences or were designated premises supervisors but did not serve underage drinkers themselves. The other four defendants were offered cautions either because it was felt a criminal conviction would have hampered their career prospects or that the teenagers looked as if they could be 18. York Press
- Cambridge Leisure Park is turning from a family-friendly complex into a collection of drinking holes blighted by antisocial behaviour, police are warning. Now, for the first time in the city, police have stepped in and hired a barrister in a bid to block plans for another pub, saying they are "drawing a line in the sand". The site had a "family-friendly" feel when it was set up in May 2004, but now has 14 licensed premises, including bars, restaurants, a bowling alley, hotel and The Junction music venue. Police say fights, anti-social behaviour and other drink-related incidents are escalating. Cambridge Evening News
- Moves to curb alcohol related violence in Blackpool town centre by banning irresponsible venues from opening up look set to go ahead. The tough stance – due to be introduced at the end of this month – would mean that new drinking venues could only open if they proved their presence would not fuel violence and anti-social behaviour. Blackpool's licensing committee decided to consider the introduction of a 'saturation zone' last September after police revealed there had been 3,700 instances of assault and bad behaviour in the resort's main drinking area in just 12 months. Following extensive consultation with the town's pubs and clubs, councillors are being recommended to approve the amendments to Blackpool's licensing policy when they meet next week. Blackpool Today
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