Third more youngsters fined for being drunk

THE number of young people being slapped with fines for being drunk and disorderly in Greater Manchester has increased by almost a third in three years.

But, according to Government figures, the rate of increase across the region is significantly lower than the 84 per cent increase across the country as a whole.

The figures released to the Lords revealed a hike in bad behaviour during 2007 (the latest year available) compared with 2004 across Greater Manchester —from 206 to 269.

But records also show that the number of young people convicted of drunken crimes in the region fell by 21 per cent from 155 to 122 in the same period.

Nationally, the number of young people fined for bad drunken behaviour almost doubled from 15,336 to 28,215 between 2004 and 2007, while the number convicted in court fell from 9,571 to 7,406 over the same period.

Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher said: “People in Oldham are fed up with what happens on Fridays and Saturdays around Yorkshire Street.

“It is out of control. A rise in the number of fines could be good if it actually means people are discouraged to behave in this way because they know they will be penalised.”

Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson proposed earlier this year that each unit of alcohol should be sold for no less than 50p, taking the price of an average six pack of lager to £6.

But the proposal was rejected by Prime Minister Gordon Brown who said the Government did not want to penalise the vast majority of sensible drinkers.

However, a Parliamentary early day motion tabled by Lib-Dem Chris Huhne argues that the cheaper the alcohol, the more people drink, and notes the “damage caused by alcohol misuse to individuals, families and society” costs the UK economy up to £25bn a year.

The motion, signed by 24 MPs, says 80 per cent of people think more should be done to tackle alcohol abuse and calls on Government to “make careful consideration” of calls to impose a minimum price for alcohol to end the supply of cut-price booze.