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From the Dover Mercury, 3 January 2008.
Night behind bars.
A NUMBER of people who were drunk and disorderly have spent a night in
police custody and woken up with a sobering £80 fine.
They included a 35-year-old man from Portsmouth who was arrested in
Bench Street on Saturday night, a 23-year-old man from Dover arrested in
Longfield Road on Thursday night and a 42-year-old man from Dover
arrested in Lower Road, River on Thursday night. They all spent more
than 10 hours in the cells sobering up.
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From the Dover Mercury, 3 January 2008. By Chris Dolan.
Let the bus take the strain on a pub crawl.
A GUIDE has been launched that gives beer lovers the chance to enjoy a
pint before safely making their way home by bus.
The Diamond Pub Guide, setup by Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) and
Stagecoach, lists more than 100 real ale pubs along the district’s bus
routes, covering Deal, Dover and Sandwich.
CAMRA members John Pitcher, Martin Atkins and Tony Wells, with
Stagecoach representative Kristina Harrison.
Aimed at promoting real ale and real ale pubs in the area, the guide
also encourages the use of the local bus services and the fight against
drink-driving.
All pubs featured on the list are within 500 metres of bus-stops along
the 13,14,15,88 and 89 routes.
Tony Wells, CAMRA’s pubs officer for the district, said: “The Diamond
Bus Route provides an excellent opportunity to visit the real ale pubs
across our district, particularly those in the rural areas.
“The bus is a particularly effective way of getting out to the great real ale pubs in our area without
having to worry about drinking and driving, and a Day Explorer ticket
makes this particularly cost effective.”
The Port Arms and Dunkerley’s in Deal, the Park Inn and the Lord Nelson
in Dover, and the Red Cow and New Inn in Sandwich are among the pubs
people can visit within close proximity
of a bus route.
Copies of the guide will be distributed to local real ale pubs, tourist
offices and libraries and will be available on the website of the local
branch of CAMRA.
A DAY OUT BY BUS.
To celebrate the release of the guide, CAMRA has organised a real ale
and cider day out by bus on Saturday, February 16. More details are
available from www.camra-dds.org.uk, or for more information about CAMRA,
go to www.camra.org.uk
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From the Dover Mercury, 10 January 2008.
On patrol to find young drinkers.
Mercury chief reporter Graham Tutthill joined two police officers on
their Friday night shift as they tackled anti-social behaviour and other
problems
PCs Chris Birmingham and Gary Wright check the latest reports on
anti-social behaviour before going out on patrol.
A NEW police team has been set up to tackle anti-social behaviour and
other issues in the area.
PCs Chris Birmingham and Gary Wright are heading the Neighbourhood
Tasking Team, supporting the work of the district council's community
safety unit, neighbourhood beat officers and Police Community Support
Officers.
“We are concentrating on hotspots in the area, especially those
involving anti-social behaviour,” said PC Birmingham.
The officers have been gathering information from various sources so
they can start tackling some of the problems that have been identified.
PC Birmingham is Dover born, bred and educated, and has been in the
police force for more than five years, including two years as licensing
officer.
Experience.
PC Wright, who comes from Thanet, has more than four years’ police
experience and spent 10 months training new officers.
Under-age drinking is still one of the major issues affecting the area,
with youngsters becoming involved in crime after consuming alcohol
illegally.
Soon after starting their patrol on Friday evening, PCs Birmingham and
Wright came across a group of youths in the Buckland area, some of them
carrying opened bottles of booze.
The contents were tipped away, and then the officers asked to see inside
a backpack one of them was wearing. It turned out to be full of alcohol.
As the owner of the backpack only lived around the comer, PC Wright
escorted him home.
Sometimes, the officers find they get very little support from parents,
but on this occasion they were in luck.
Behaviour.
The boy’s mother and father assured PC Wright they would be taking
appropriate action, and would ensure their son was not in possession of
alcohol again.
All the youths’ details were taken, and letters will be sent to their
parents advising them of their sons’ behaviour.
A drive through Pencester Gardens revealed more youngsters with alcohol.
Bottles were seized, and others emptied.
The officers stopped for a chat with another group, sheltering from the
rain in a bus-stop at Lewisham Road, River.
PC Wright with alcohol seized from a youth and PC Birmingham with
more of the seized alcohol.
“They are not causing a nuisance, but you can guarantee someone will
ring in to complain about them during the evening,” said PC Wright.
Two cars collided at Folkestone Road, and the officers assisted a
Special Constable who had come across the accident. Later, other
officers detained a suspected disqualified driver getting out of a
vehicle on Buckland Estate, and called for assistance. He was arrested
and taken to the police station for further questioning.
Two PCSOs on patrol at St Margaret’s discovered a car containing a young
couple and checks
revealed they might have been connected to the alleged theft of petrol
in Essex.
PCs Birmingham and Wright attended only to find the man had already
gone, leaving his girlfriend to answer the officers’ questions. Her
details were taken for further inquiries.
Two motorists were checked for drink-driving, but were clear, patrols of
Tower Hamlets, Coombe Valley, St Radigund’s and Buckland showed the
streets were quiet.
It was obvious the heavy rain and the cold weather had proved a
deterrent!
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From the Dover Express 17 January 2008.
Report by Chris Williams.
Drunk man drove kids.
WORKMAN Leon Allder could face jail for driving three young children
home while three times over the drink-drive limit.
Allder, 31, was asked to give the youngsters a lift from Folkestone
after drinking several pints of beer earlier that day.
His purple Volkswagen Golf was pulled over by police on Sugar Loaf Hill
as he ferried the children home.
He was breath tested and later charged with drink-driving by police
officers.
Ground worker Allder, of The Parade, Eastry, appeared at Folkestone
Magistrates’ Court last Thursday to plead guilty to the offence.
Magistrates heard he was fined last year for being drunk in a public
place.
Carl Ward, prosecuting, said Allder was stopped on the evening of
December 30.
Mr Ward said: “At 10.05pm in Canterbury Road, Folkestone, police on
patrol saw a Volkswagen Golf and their attention was drawn to a faulty
exhaust pipe. They caused the vehicle to stop and found Allder driving
the car with three young children as passengers.”
Hugh Roberts, defending, said: “Allder drank two and a half pints during
the evening, which effectively topped up the alcohol he had earlier that
day.
“He left his house to go on a journey he, in retrospect, is now
thoroughly ashamed of.
“Allder was asked to collect the children and that was the reason for
the otherwise unexpected journey.
“I ask the court to consider making him subject to a drink-driver
rehabilitation course.
Magistrates chairman Sarah Thorne told Allder: “This is a serious
offence, and both the courts and the public take a very dim view of
drink driving.
“Your reading was very high and made worse by the fact that you had
three children with you.
“We are considering imposing custody because we have a duty to protect
the public.”
The case was adjourned until Thursday, January 31 for sentencing.
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From the Dover Express, 24 January 2008.
Drink-drive cases fall.
DRINK and drug-driving offences in Kent fell by 20 per cent over the Christmas period compared to last year.
The police, carrying out roadside checks as part of the Safer Winter
campaign, breath tested 658 people in south Kent and arrested 50.
In the county, 4,100 breath tests were carried out between December 1
and January 1, resulting in 301 arrests, down 31 on last year. Police
also carried out 22 field impairment tests for drug-driving. Eight
people were arrested.
Chief Inspector Phil Hibben, of the traffic department, said: “It seems
the message is getting through to drivers. Although we tested more there
were fewer arrests.
“Our overall aim will be to continue to deter drink- and drug-driving
all year round.”
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From the Dover Express, 7 February 2008.
Drunk held.
A DRUNK who jumped in front of a police car was arrested in Western
Road, Deal, on Sunday morning.
The, abusive 27-year-old was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and
held at Dover Police Station for six hours before being handed an £80
fine.
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From the Dover Mercury 7 February 2008.
TIME CALLED: Campaign targets growing national problem.
Youngsters to be told of drink dangers.
The launch of the campaign against under-age drinking. From left,
Caroline Davis from the Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust, Ch Insp Tony Kofkin, district councillor Julie Rook and community safety
manager Chris Allen
THE effects of under-age drinking on young people’s health and the
community are being highlighted in a campaign launched on Tuesday.
The district council, police and health officials have joined forces to
raise awareness and tackle the problems that drinking by teenagers and
children can cause.
The campaign, funded by the Respect Youth Taskforce, Eastern and Coastal
Kent Primary Care Trust and the Home Office, is being coordinated by the
Community Safety Unit.
But community safety manager Chris Allen stressed that Dover district
did not have a drink problem of the type experienced in many other parts
of the country. “We are fortunate,” he said.
Major problem.
“This is a proactive campaign to tackle the issues before they do become
a major problem. We want to improve the quality of life for those who
live in, work in or visit the district.”
The campaign covers the areas of education, diversion and enforcement.
The education aspect has been designed to raise knowledge, particularly
among young people, of the potentially long-term adverse effects the
abuse of alcohol can have.
Parents and carers are also urged to make sure they know where their
children are and what they are doing.
The enforcement aspect aims to target and prosecute those who breach the
law by supplying alcohol to under-age youngsters.
Abuse.
The primary care trust is providing dedicated alcohol workers to help
families deal with alcohol abuse.
District Cllr Julie Rook said: “Some of the national statistics
surrounding young people and alcohol are truly staggering.
“I think it is important for
us to try and raise awareness among young people and parents of the
impact alcohol has not only on their own lives and long term health, but
also the impact it has on the community as a whole.”
Sgt Guy Thompson said: “There is a strong link between under-age
drinking and antisocial behaviour, including criminal damage to people’s
property.
“This causes concern to local residents and I am pleased we are joining
forces with our partners to tackle the problem.”
TEENAGE TRUTHS.
ACCORDING to national research, 10 per cent of 12 to 15-year-old
drinkers say they buy their own alcohol and 63 per cent of 16 and 17
year-olds have bought their own alcohol in pubs, nightclubs and bars.
Under-age binge drinkers, aged 14 to 17, said their
drinking had led to unsafe sex, injury, drug taking, involvement in
dangerous driving and getting into trouble with the police.
In 2005 to 2006, the number of under-18s admitted to hospital with
drink-related conditions rose by 13 per cent.
BACKING CAMPAIGN.
THE Mercury is supporting Operation Elusive with regular updates on
action taken, and issues raised as a result of the campaign.
We will be highlighting the problems which underage drinking causes, the
effects on the young people themselves, and the cost to the community.
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From the Dover Express, 14 February 2008.
Woman drunk.
POLICE arrested a 47-year-old woman in Bench Street, Dover, on Sunday
for being drunk and disorderly. She was held at Dover police station for
16 hours to sober up before being given an £80 fine and released.
Driving offences.
MARIO Barros-Weiser, 45, of Randolph Road, Dover, will face Folkestone
magistrates charged with failing to provide a specimen, driving without
insurance and driving without a licence. He will appear in court on
Monday, February 25.
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From the Dover Mercury, 14 February 2008. By Graham Tutthill.
Police take booze from 90 teenagers.
POLICE officers have confiscated 150 bottles and cans of alcohol from 90
young people during the first weekend of an operation to target
under-age drinking in the district.
On Friday night officers intervened when children turned up at a 16th
birthday party in Dover with booze and dealt with a number of older
youths who were buying alcohol for those who were under age.
Officers carried out high-visibility patrols in areas where young people
are known to congregate and drink alcohol.
This was the enforcement phase of a multi-agency campaign launched last
week to raise awareness of the health issues and community safety impact
of under-age drinking.
Kent police, the East Kent Coastal Primary Care Trust and Dover District
Council are running the operation
with funding from the Respect Youth Taskforce, EKCPCT and the Home
Office.
It is being co-ordinated by the new Community Safety Unit to highlight
the potential consequences of under-age drinking such as health problems
and getting involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.
Sgt Guy Thompson said: “I am not surprised that so many young people
were in possession of alcohol this weekend.
“We know it is a problem, it causes concern in the community and that is
why this campaign has been launched.
“Officers will continue to intervene and get among young people to deal
with those that are drinking alcohol.
“We will also be clamping down on those who supply alcohol to under-age
people.”
Under-age drink blitz targets the parents.
PARENTS are being asked whether they know many bottles of wine or cans
of beer they have in their home.
It’s one of the issues raised as part of the campaign to cut down on
under-age drinking in the Dover district.
Although some teenagers say
they buy alcohol from shops themselves, or get an adult to buy it for
them, others say their parents provide it - or they take it from their
homes without their parents’ knowledge.
Cllr Julie Rook, the district council’s cabinet member for citizenship
who helped launch the campaign, said she and alcohol parted company “at
an early age” after an experience
with barley wine.
“Young people are drinking alcohol at a much younger age and in greater
quantities,” she said. “They are totally ignorant of the consequences,
or choose to ignore them.”
Cllr Rook said she was horrified to read in a teen magazine about a
14-year-old girl who, in a single evening, was drinking the recommended
weekly alcohol allowance for an adult.
Cllr Rook said she wondered if parents would know if their children took
alcohol from their home.
“Do they know how many bottles or cans they have indoors, and would they
realise if some of it disappeared,” she said.
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From the Dover Mercury, 14 February 2008.
Driver failed to provide specimen.
A 45-year-old Dover man is due in court this month to face three
motoring charges.
Police arrested Mario Barros-Weiser in London Road, Dover, on Sunday.
He was charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis, driving
without insurance and having no driving licence.
Barros-Weiser, of Randolph Road, will appear at Folkestone magistrates
on February 25.
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From the Dover Mercury, 27 March 2008.
Drink charge.
TWO motorists who were stopped by police in High Street, Dover, have
been charged with drink-driving.
Alan Priddle, 43, of Randolph Road, and Louis Russell, 19, of Minnis
Lane, River, are both due to appear in court on Monday, April 7.
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From the Dover Express, 28 February 2008. Report by Sarah Shaffi
Drink driver ‘within an inch’ of a jail term.
A LABOURER who pleaded guilty to six offences, including possession of
ecstasy and drink driving, has been told he “came within an inch” of
going to jail.
Luke Price, of Tower Street, Dover, was caught by police hiding in a
garden after abandoning the car he was driving along Burgoyne Heights on
August 8 last year.
He had taken the silver car without its owner’s permission just before
2.30am.
Price had been boozing since 5pm and admitted to police he had been
mixing his drinks.
Marie-Louise Corteen, prosecuting, said: “The offending vehicle was
located at Corunna Place with a smashed windscreen.
“A man was seen to run off into an alleyway. He was found in a nearby
garden and was clearly drunk.
“He tried to get rid of a grinder which had 13 white tablets in it.”
Price claimed in his police interview he had been looking after the
drugs for a friend, but refused to give a name.
He had admitted possession of ecstasy, driving without insurance or a
licence, drink driving, failure to stop and theft at an earlier
appearance at Folkestone Magistrates Court on Thursday, January 31.
The case was adjourned for sentencing until last Thursday, when Rocco
Marinaccio, defending, said: “Mr Price works as a ground worker and came
before
the court for the first time on the last occasion. I think it is fair to
say it is very much out of character.
“He has spent the last few weeks pending the fact he could be going to
prison.”
Chairman of the bench Paul Seward told Price: “August 8 was hardly your
brightest moment.
“You came within an inch of going inside today.” Price was banned from
driving for 20 months and told to pay £60 costs.
He was also sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work each for possession of
drugs, failing to stop and taking the car without permission. All three
community service sentences will run concurrently.
The 21-year-old will also be subject to a nine-month drug rehabilitation
programme.
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From the Dover Mercury, 6 March 2008. By Beth Robson.
Gallons of drink are seized in crackdown.
MORE than 350 cans and bottles of alcohol have been seized in the
Dover-Deal district by police in an operation targeting under-age
drinking.
The exercise, named Operation Elusive, saw 20 gallons of drink seized
from youngsters and those suspected of supplying it to children over a
three-week period.
It is a combined effort by Community Safety Unit officers and Kent
police who have conducted plain-clothed visits to licensed premises and
pubs to check on sales to under-age drinkers. So far none has been found
doing so.
PCSOs have also helped in the Home Office campaign.
At the weekend, officers confiscated alcohol from youths in Dover’s
Ladywell car park, Church Street, Dover, and Birdwood Avenue and Beach
Street, both in Deal.
Sgt Guy Thompson, of the unit, said: “Operation Elusive has had a big
impact on underage alcohol issues in the Dover district. More than 670
young
people have been spoken to and I am glad to say we have only had to make
one arrest.”
The parents of hundreds of children who were found drunk were contacted
and asked to collect them.
Many others received a letter from the unit, telling them of their
children’s drinking.
Sgt Susan Marsden said: “Drinking isn’t only antisocial, it can lead to
sexual
relationships and fights.
“It may be a case of the parents not knowing what their
children are doing when they go out.” The operation continues until
March 25.
“I’m really pleased to hear that Kent police, and Dover in particular,
are being so pro-active in bringing these policies into being," he
added.
POLICE PATROLS.
PCSO Alison Borg, who patrols Dover's Castle ward, said Operation
Elusive had been effective, but few people realised the district was a
designated alcohol controlled zones.
This means anyone found drinking in the streets can have their drink
confiscated.
"You do tend to get the ones who are obviously under the influence and
they tend to get a bit rowdy because they have paid for it," she said.
“But it's been a good operation."
Addressing the health issues of drinking, Sandro Limentani, assistant
director of public health for the primary care trust, said: "Drinking
too much is now a major health issue. "When people get into fights, and
injure themselves, they end up in accident and emergency."
MP'S REACTION.
DOVER and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser said the Government gave police new
powers to crack down on under-age and inappropriate drinking. |
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From the Dover Express, 3 April 2008.
Drunks pay up.
POLICE fined three men for being drunk and disorderly on Saturday.
A 19-year-old was arrested in Wyndham Road on Saturday morning. He was
held at Dover police station for seven hours before he was handed an £80
fixed penalty notice and released.
Two men, aged 31 and 46, were arrested in Folkestone Road on Saturday
evening and were held in cells and fined.
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From the Dover Mercury, 3 April 2008.
Drinking a costly business.
THREE Dover men were issued with fixed penalty notices for being drunk
and disorderly on Saturday.
A 19-year-old man was detained in custody for more than seven hours
after police arrested him in Wyndham Road. Later that evening, two men,
aged 31 and 46, were also arrested in Folkestone Road and taken into
custody.
All were issued with £80 fixed penalty notices.
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From the Saturday Observer, 5 April 2008.
PUB'S FURY AT CRAZY EU LAW
Harassment rules 'outlaw common sense', say Landlords
By CHRIS MURPHY
PINT PLEASE: Bar staff could claim damages if their
dignity is "violated" due to their sex.
NEW laws coming into force tomorrow to protect workers from being
sexually harassed by customers have been slammed by pub landlords as
"political correctness gone mad". Godfrey Page, from Dover, is the
chairman of tile Guild of Master V ietuallers, which represents 400 pubs
nationally - 00 which about half are in Kent Mr Page is dismayed at the
introduction of "subjected to any conduct related to their sex, which
violates their dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading,
humiliating or offensive environment".
Mr Page said: "Most of the time, I think the bar staff themselves are
able to handle situations if they look like going too far by putting
down the awkward customer - often to the mirth of their friends.
"It is just silly to suggest barmaids need any more protection - they
do a brilliant job at keeping the peace and ensuring everything works as
it should.
"They are the best-placed person to deal with problems, and if they
can't, the landlords can."
It is feared landlords will bear the brunt of any fines for
compensation claims from the new sex discrimination laws.
Andrew Aves, from Canterbury, is the Kent regional organiser for the
Federation of Small Businesses.
He said: "Who dreams this stuff up - which planet do they come from?
"This is political correctness gone mad, it is a complete and total
lack of reality."
Mr Aves added: "The pub is a popular place for people to relax and
enjoy themselves. Any responsible landlord will look after their staff
and not tolerate improper behaviour.
"One tiling that you are not allowed to have these days is common
sense - it seems to be totally outlawed."
Stuart ChamberIain, an employment law specialist at London-based
Consult GEE, suggested that landlords would put up warning signs.
The Government's Commission for Equality and Human Rights said it
would monitor the enforcement of the laws. A spokesman told the Saturday
Observer: "When employers know harassment is going on they are in a
position to do something about it."
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From the Kent on Sunday, 6 April, 2008.
Alcohol control zone to deal with drunks.
By James Alexandre
ON THE TILES: Officials hope the street-drinking ban
will stop irresponsible behaviour.
AN ALCOHOL control zone is being piloted in Sittingbourne town centre in a bid to
reduce antisocial behaviour. Neighbouring Medway
council has imposed a blanket ban on drinking in Chatham and Rochester
high streets.
But the new scheme in Sittingbourne leaves it up to
police, wardens and community support officers to confiscate
alcohol from those behaving irresponsible.
The initiative has the
support of councillors and local landlords, and if successful could be
extended across the rest of Swale.
Cllr John Wright, who says the
idea was raised by a resident, insists the new control
zone will reduce loutish behaviour and will
not discriminate against law-abiding citizens.
He said:
"It won't target someone who, for example, is feeling the heat and just
drinking a can of beer outside and who isn't drunk."
Instead the new zone will give police the power to take alcohol away
from groups hanging around on street corners or those who decide to
have an "impromptu party" outside, which can be threatening to
passers-by.
Existing evidence suggests controlled zones help to
reduce antisocial behaviour, as has
already been witnessed in Medway, and helps stop underage drinking.
Licensees
who have tables and chairs laid out in the exclusion area
would be free to deal with their own patrons as usual in the event of
any problems.
Michelle Parnell, assistant manager at the Vineyard in
"West Street, is fully in favour of the proposal.
She said: "It makes it
easier for us to manage, so that customers don't wander off outside with a pint in their hand.
"Also we tend to get quite a few people who
come in here holding a bottle of Stella, thinking they're still one of
the lads, so if it means
them not getting drunk before they enter then all the better."
Sittingbourne town centre PC Jason Hedges said: "This is not about
spoiling people's fun but addressing residents' concerns about individuals
drinking in public places.
The current exclusion zone covers the whole of
Sittingbourne town centre, from AIbany Recreation ground to the railway station.
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From the Dover Express, Thursday, 17 April, 2008.
TEEN BOOZE NIGHTMARE
Hundreds of-kids found with alcohol.
Report by Kathy Bailes.
HUNDREDS of boozed-up children have had to be collected from Dover
police station during a campaign to crack down on underage drinking.
Youngsters, some just
11 years old, have been stopped on the streets
as part of the six-week Operation Elusive, launched by Dover police and
the district councils community safety unit in February as part of the
Safer Spring scheme.
Police stopped 858 under-18s and confiscated 434 cans and bottles of
booze. Police say "hundreds" of parents were called to pick up drunk
kids after they were detained at the Ladywell station.
Sergeant Guy Thompson, who heads the Dover Community Safety Unit, said:
"Although this operation has finished we will be working with secondary
schools in the district on alcohol harm education.
"Parents also need to
ensure their children are not getting access to
alcohol at home."
Most of the young people stopped for boozing were aged 14 and 15 and
police say "a significant
portion of
those with
booze were
girls".
The figures
come to light just two weeks after the Express revealed plans by Kent
County Council to take action on alcohol abuse including education for
children and more services for recovering alcoholics.
A report by the North West Public Health Observatory revealed more
than 50 under-18s in Dover had to be taken to hospital in 2006 after
drinking too much alcohol and showed 16 per cent of adults
in the district binge drink.
DDC's portfolio holder for youth services, Julie Rook, said giving
youngsters more to do is the answer but admitted she was shocked by the
figures. She said:
"These are quite worrying. If this is just for six weeks it tells me we
have a bit of a social problem. Although Dover is not as bad as some
areas, confiscating 200 litres
of alcohol is scary.
"We have a culture where alcohol is considered OK. As parents we are not looking at the long-term health
implications of letting our teenagers drink a glass of wine or beer at
dinner with us.
"As a council we are looking at more diversionary activities. Youngsters
want to be social and our youth strategy aims to encourage them into
sporting activities rather than drinking on street corners."
Underage drinking crackdown.
Haul: (From left) pcso Gretel Stevens, Sandro Limentani of the
Primary Health Care Trust, KCC's Don Covus, MP Gwyn Prossa, Sgt Guy
Thompson, Chris Allen of the community safety unit, and PCSO Alison
Borg.
''The strategy will look at activities such as youth, cafes and
discos such as the popular Teen Fusion held in Deal.
Community Safety Officers, police and trading standards also targeted
pubs, clubs and off-licences during the £50,000 operation.
A police spokesman said: "Out of eight test purchase operations one
has led to a prosecution and five will be subject to further visits
after poor practices were highlighted."
Dover kids hit the booze.
Police confiscated 90 bottless of booze in the district in the first
weekend of Operation Elusive. Areas targeted included a 16th
birthday party in the town. One teenager was also arrested for being drunk and
disorderly at Walmer paddling pool.
Beacon Church caretaker Dave Bartlet
spoke to the
Express in February about underage drinkers, some only 13, who
congregated behind the London Road church.
In the same month police
seized booze from gangs of
youths in Ladywell care park, Dover, and Beach Street and Birdwood
Avenue in Deal.
In March a 13-year-old-girl from Aylesham was arrested
after she drunkenly threatened police with an iron bar.
Last week
parishioners at St Finbar's Church, Aylesham, discovered vandals had
pushed over an eight foot oak crucifix in the churchyard. Police say
they want to talk to youths seen drinking in the area on the night it
happened.
Operation Elusive took more than 200 litres of booze away
from youngsters.
• Get help; KDAAT at www.drugsuk.org.uk or call 0800 776600. Kenward
Trust at www.kenwardtrust.org.uk or call 01622 814187. East Kent
Partnership Alcohol Service on 01227761310.
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 10 April, 2008.
Don't buy drink or tobacco for teens'
ADULTS are being warned they could be in trouble if they buy tobacco or
alcohol for under 18s.
The warning follows an incident in Dover in which a middle-aged woman
was approached by three girls in Ladywell - opposite the police station -
who gave her money to buy cigarettes for
them.
The woman went into the shop, but the incident had raised the suspicions
of a member of the Dover Partnership Against Crime, who broadcast a
message via the Shopwatch radio to warn staff at the shop what was
happening.
Realising she had been seen the woman left the shop without buying the cigarettes and gave the money back to the girls who ran off.
Warnings were then broadcast to other shops in the area to watch out
for the girls.
Shopkeepers are aware that it is an offence to sell
tobacco or alcohol to under 18s, but adults who buy goods on their
behalf may not realise they could also
be fined.
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 10 April, 2008. 55p
DRUNKS FINED
POLICE on duty in Bench Street, Dover on Friday night
arrested two men, aged 37 and 38, for being drunk and disorderly. Both
were detained at the police station for more than eight hours before
being issued with £80 fixed penalty notices.
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 17 April, 2008. By Graham Tutthill.
CRACKDOWN: Hundreds of cans and bottles are seized.
Young people are searched for alcohol.
MORE than 200 litres of alcohol has been seized from under-age drinkers
in Dover district.
During a six-week operation, police stopped and
checked more than 850 young people and seized a total of 434 cans and
bottles.
Contact was made with hundreds of parents of drunk and
vulnerable young people to come to collect their children and many were
advised about the dangers and consequences of their actions.
Officers
from the Community Safety Unit at Dover together with Kent Police and Trading
Standards also completed visits to pubs, clubs and off-licences to check
if sales were being made to under-age youngsters.
HIGHLIGHTED.
Out of eight test purchase operations carried out, one has led to a
prosecution and five will be subject to further visits after poor
practices were highlighted.
Sgt Guy Thompson, of the Community Safety
Unit, said:
"Although this operation has finished, we will be working
with the secondary schools in the district regarding alcohol harm
education.
"We will also be targeting premises that continue to sell
alcohol to under-age children, and the adults that buy alcohol for young
people as it is an offence to purchase alcohol for a person under 18.
"Parents need to ensure that their children are not getting access to
alcohol at home.
"Officers will also continue to patrol the areas young
people are known to congregate in and drink, and deal with concerns
raised by the community as part of the Safer Spring initiative."
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 1 May, 2008.
IN A MUDDLE OVER DRINK.
THE case of a supermarket refusing to sell alcohol to an adult because
they were accompanied by an under-age child raises some interesting
issues. No one would dispute the need for vigilance when it comes to selling
booze and cigarettes to children directly, or to adults who are simply,
and illegally, buying it on behalf of teenagers who are waiting outside. But when a family are doing their weekly shop and want to buy a bottle
of wine to drink at home, what are they supposed to do if they have a
child or teenager with them? It's not the cashier's 'fault; he or
she faces prosecution for selling alcohol knowing it could
be consumed by someone under age. This section of the law is a bit of a muddle, and it needs sorting
out. |
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From the Kent on Sunday, 11 May, 2008. By CHRIS MURPHY
BREWERY BOSS SLAMS CALL TO BAN DRINK ADS
MP claims it is ‘only way' to break link between alcohol and glamour
of sport.
RADICAL IDEA: Dr Howard Stoate has called for a ban on
advertising alcohol in sport. |
WRONG MEASURE: Jonathan Neame says a blanket ban on drink advertising
would damage sports clubs at grassroots level. |
THE boss of a major Kent brewery says
grassroots sports clubs in the county would be seriously damaged if a
call for a ban on alcohol advertising is heeded.
Jonathan Neame, chief
executive of Faversham-based Shepherd Neame, was speaking after a Kent
MP called for the advertising restrictions.
Dr Howard Stoate, Labour
member for Dartford - and a GP - made the demand in an article for a
Labour think-tank.
But Mr Neame said: “There is a series of government
reviews going on about alcohol at the moment. One of them is called the
Price Promotions Review. We understand the publication date for that is
in September, so my immediate reaction is putting the cart before the
horse.”
John Paton, who runs the world-famous Lashings cricket team
from a restaurant in Maidstone, said they needed to keep their
sponsorship deal with champagne maker Mumm.
He said: “If they left it
would leave a big hole in our finances. It would also reduce our ability
to take international cricketers to schools, colleges and clubs, which I
think encourages fitness and exercise - which is what the Government
wants.
“Calling for a ban of alcohol advertising is a nice easy one to
jump on, but it needs to be thought through.
“If it prevents us
helping kids into sport it is defeating the object of the exercise.”
Cash
And Dave Whitehead, chairman of Thanet Wanderers rugby club, said they
rely heavily on backing from Thorley Taverns.
“It would affect us badly if the company was forced to leave us,” he
said. “We need them for financial help in running the club for the whole
year. We get a lump sum of cash, and help running the club bar. I would
hate to see them forced out of the game.”
Writing in the latest edition of the Fabian Review, Dr Stoate, who is a
member of the influential Commons' health select committee, said more needs to be done
to separate alcohol promotion and sport.
He said: “We need a more radical measure that will prevent alcohol
companies from associating themselves with the excitement and glamour of
professional sport and using it to boost their sales among the young in
particular,” he said.
“A complete ban on alcohol advertising or sponsorship within sport is
the only way of achieving this.”
He added there are “dozens of references to alcohol” during televised
football matches.
“Carlsberg, who sponsor Liverpool, have become the most popular drinks
brand in the country. Their Merseyside neighbours Everton are sponsored
by Chang Beer.
“Carling not only sponsors the Carling Cup, but Rangers too. You see
drinks firms' logos on team shirts, drinks adverts on hoardings beside
the pitch, drinks commercials at half time, bottles of champagne for the
man of the match. The list is endless.”
Shepherd Neame sponsors the Kent County Cricket Club teams, with
Spitfire backing the one-day side and Master Brew for the four-day team.
It also has its name on hoardings at the club ground, on the players'
shirts and in the programme. But the Shepherd Neame logo was removed
from the children's replica kits as that was deemed to be
“inappropriate” said a spokesman for the brewery.
Mr Neame said: “My response to the call for a ban on advertising is,
show me the evidence.
“Traditionally, advertising is a way of a brand gaining market share,
and does very little to influence consumption. If this sort of
advertising was stopped, a lot of grassroots sports clubs would lose
their sponsor.
Rampant
He added: “What is being implied by the calls to ban advertising is
that the beer market is rampant, which it is not. The market is in its
fastest rate of decline in 40 years.
“So where is the evidence that
alcohol advertising drives consumption? Binge drinking is caused by
other factors.”
In his article, Dr Stoate pointed out that alcohol advertising rules say
adverts must not link alcohol with ‘daring' or ‘toughness' or suggest it
may enhance ‘physical performance' or appeal to the under-18s.
“And yet it seems the regulators and the Government see nothing wrong in
allowing our leading football teams and most successful sportsmen - with
their millions of young fans - to be closely associated with alcohol
products,” he claimed.
Dr Stoate said young people
are drinking more than ever. Since 1990, the alcohol consumption by 11
to 15-year-olds in England has doubled and alcohol misuse is also having
a growing impact on young people's health, the MP said.
“Teenagers as young as 13 are being admitted to hospital for
alcohol-related treatment. And, for the first time, liver specialists
are now seeing patients in their 20s and 30s with end-stage alcoholic
liver disease.”
The Fabian Review is published by the Fabian Society, a Labour
think-tank founded in 1884.
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From the Dover Express, Thursday, 29 May, 2008.
BE ALCOHOL AWARE
KENT County Council are backing a national campaign to make people
aware of how much alcohol they are drinking. The Know Your Limits
campaign aims to make it clear how many units each drink contains. KCC
Cabinet Member for Public Health, Graham Gibbens, said: "When you go to
a friend's house and have a glass of wine or beer how are you to know
the strength of the drink or how many units it has? "What is a modest
sized glass to me may be too much for you or vice versa. This campaign
isn't to tell people what they can or cannot do but to give them the
right information to make informed decisions themselves. "We are
working hard with our partner agencies to ensure people understand the
perils of drinking to excess and knowing the units will go a long way in
furthering the message." |
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 22 May, 2008.
HOTEL BACK IN BUSINESS
A BUSINESSMAN who transformed a derelict manor house into an
award-winning hotel is launching a second property in Dover after a
£1.5m investment.
Gavin Oakley, who heads the team responsible for the four-star "Wallett's
Court" Country House Hotel & Spa in Westcliffe, is opening The "White
Cliffs Hotel" for business this week in nearby St Margaret's.
The historic hotel and restaurant, formerly The Garden House Hotel,
centres around a traditional Kentish weatherboarded inn, parts of which
date back to Elizabethan times.
Many of the hotel's 15 bedrooms have been refurbished and restyled to
give them a contemporary New England twist.
The loft has been converted into a luxury micro spa, offering “his
and hers” treatments using organic, hand-made products.
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 5 June, 2008.
POLICE CRACK DOWN ON YOUNG DRINKERS
AS THE Government calls on parents to take more responsibility for
their youngsters' drinking habits, police have revealed that more than
33 bottles and cans of alcohol have been seized from underage drinkers
in Dover and Deal in the past two months. A total of 127 young people
have been stopped and checked by police in the two towns as part of the
Safer Spring campaign. Officers confiscated 33 bottles and cans of
alcohol in an effort to target anti-social behaviour and damage caused
by drunken youths. Extra officers have been on patrol in areas where
young people are known to congregate and cause a nuisance and 18
licensing checks have been carried out to ensure alcohol was not being
supplied to young people. Police say patrols will continue to focus on
areas where young people are known to cause a nuisance and officers are
working on plans for the next large-scale operation to deal with the
long summer holiday period. Inspector Paul Ludwig from the
Neighbourhood Policing and Crime Reduction Unit said: "We have taken the
names and details of a number of young people who were drinking
illegally in a public place. Prosecution “We will monitor the
situation and if they are caught again, we will take further action.”
The Government's youth alcohol action plan is aimed at cracking down on
off-licences which sell to under 18s, and parents are to be given
guidelines on how much alcohol their children can safely consume, in a
bid to encourage teenagers to drink more responsibly. Those who fail
to get their children to change their ways and stop abusing alcohol
could be required to attend parenting courses or end up facing
prosecution. Teenagers who persistently possess alcohol in public will
be subject to anti-social behaviour orders and acceptable behaviour
contracts. |
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From the Dover Express, Thursday, 5 June, 2008.
POLICE STOP-AND-SEARCH SCHEME TO PUT OFF BOOZING KIDS
POLICE have stopped 127 youngsters for booze checks as part of the
Safer Spring scheme. The campaign, which ran from the end of March
until the end of May, involved officers patrolling areas where youths
are known to gather and cause a nuisance. About 33 bottles and cans of
alcohol were confiscated and 18 licensing checks were carried out to
make sure shop owners are not selling booze to underage children.
Dover police says it will continue to clamp down in areas where groups
of youths are causing trouble. Plans are also being made for a major
operation to deal with antisocial behaviour during the school summer
holidays. Inspector Paul Ludwig, from the Neighbourhood Policing and
Crime Reduction Unit, said: “We have taken the names and details of a
number of young people who were drinking illegally in a public place. If
they are caught again, we will take further I action.” |
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From the Dover Mercury, 3 July, 2008. 60p
DISORDERLY GIRL
A TEENAGE girl from Temple Ewell has been given an £80 fixed penalty
notice for being drunk and disorderly in London Road, Dover, on Friday
night.
The 17-year-old was kept at the police station for 11 hours to sober
up before being issued with the penalty notice.
And a 20-year-old Dover man was issued with a similar notice on
Saturday after spending 10 hours in the cells. He was arrested at Deal
railway station on Friday evening for being drunk and disorderly.
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From Your Dover, 9 July, 2008.
Is smokless cigarette the pub trade's saviour?
BY TOM BETTS
THEY say there's no smoke without fire - but in this case it's quite the
opposite.
An alternative method of puffing away at the pub has
drifted into the national consciousness and is causing quite a stir in
the industry.
So-called electronic or alternative
cigarettes give users the sensation of smoking, even producing a vapour
that can be inhaled and exhaled while delivering the nicotine hit, but are
legal as no harmful smoke is emitted.
One brand on the market is called the SuperSmoker.
Its Ultimo model, which retails at
around £78, allows smokers to dodge the smoking ban, which has now been
in place for a year.
Inventors say the system helps people lead a healthier lifestyle and
is much cheaper; claiming it can knock 65 per sent off normal smoking
costs.
It is legal to use inside pubs and clubs as it causes no harm to those sharing their air. Cartridges are placed into a pre-charged
atomiser and users suck on it like a normal cigarette.
The firm says it
looks, testes and "smokes" like a conventional cigarette but has no
detrimental health effects on others and doesn't cause cancer.
We asked 58-year-old smoker Graham Bates from Herne Bay to trial the
SuperSmoker Ultimo on a trip to his local.
He said: "I felt a little strange using it. It does have a certain
sensation of smoking but you have to suck pretty hard to get much out and
it leaves a sugary taste on the
lips.
"I used it in the pub and the barman did initially ask me to stop but
I showed him the product, and then he was fine with it. He said he had
seen them before and had no issues with people using them."
Mark Bradley assistant manager of the Prince of Wales pub in Railway
Street, Chatham, said, "I've actually got one of the electronic
cigarettes.
"I went to the London Bar Show last week and they were giving them out.
I think they're brilliant and bought some for my staff.
Sam Griggs, trainee assistant manager of the Druid's Arms in Earl Street, Maidstone,
said: "I
think they're a good idea.
"I've not seen anyone using them in the pub.
We've only got a little garden and it normally gets packed with smokers, so products like this
may become quite popular.
It might cause a bit of conflict, though, as other customers may
think they are real cigarettes.
Graham Moore, landlord of the Duke's Head in Sellindge, said: "I
wouldn't have any objections to them being used here. If they are legal
to see indoors and don't disturb anyone else, then that's fine."
Ian Gray, from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, has
looked into the innovation.
He said: "We have been the evidence to all the regulatory authorities
on this matter and are hearing about it more and more.
"Our main concern was that officers wouldn't be able to tell the
difference, but it is clear if YOU are close to them they are not normal
cigarettes. They are perfectly legal to use because, in our view, this
isn't smoking.
"It is unlikely that a local authority would want to make a
prosecution as the legislation is to protect people from second-hand
smoke.
"If there is no smoke, then there is not really a basis for a
prosecution.
Mr Gray said the device was catching on. "They seem to be using
them a lot in the North. I suppose if you don't want to go outside, it's
a real alternative.
They seem to be particularly popular in bingo halls, especially among
older people who may not want to get up and go outside and all that goes
with that, such as collecting your coat.
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 31 July, 2008.
DRINK DRIVING RISKS HIGHLIGHTED
■ AT THE WHEEL: Motorists experience the effects of alcohol.
THE DANGERS of drinking alcohol while driving were brought home to four
young drivers on Friday.
They took part in a series of tests with Kent
Highways Agency while sober, and then again after drinking, and again
after having a short sleep, to show the effect on their reaction times.
The experiment was carried out as part of the Summer Drink-Driving
Campaign to show drink driving wrecks lives all year round and not just
at Christmas.
At a private car park in Dover drivers took tests
including brake reaction times, hazard avoidance and emergency stopping.
Then after consuming the same amount of alcohol they would normally on a
night out they conducted the tests for a second time.
After five hours
of sleep a third set of tests were carried out to show how alcohol
coupled with fatigue can still have effects on the body even if you are
under the legal limit.
EMERGENCY
All the drivers showed slower
reaction times in the second and third set of tests.
One driver was
still under the legal limit after his second set of tests but his
emergency stop time had more than doubled.
Test driver Peter Dean
said: “It was just like a real night out and I was really shocked to see
how much my responses deteriorated.
“I was actually just under the
legal limit to drive when I took the second tests but the alcohol in my
system was clearly having a bad effect on my driving.”
Road safety
manager for Kent Highways Services Ian Proctor said: “Drink-driving
kills all year round and drivers need to realise it is just as dangerous
in the summer as it is at Christmas.
“We carried out these tests to
highlight how easy it is to make the mistake of drink-driving and
illustrate that even small amounts of alcohol will impair driving
ability.
“You do not have to be drunk to be dangerous.”
ANTI-BOOZE CAMPAIGN HITS HOME
THE message about the dangers of
drinking under age seems to be getting through to young people in the
Dover area.
Only two out of more than 70 young people stopped and
checked by police in the district this month had alcohol with them.
The action is part of the Safer Summer campaign, which began at the
start of July. The alcohol found was confiscated and disposed of by
officers. Police have visited 13 licensed premises to ensure that
alcohol is not being sold to under age or very drunk customers.
Five
arrests have been made for criminal damage offences. They were carried
out by officers allocated to the Safer Summer campaign, in addition to
regular police patrol work.
The campaign was launched with publicity
at local schools where young people were given advice and leaflets about
staying safe and staying out of trouble.
Promotional materials have
also been distributed to encourage people to review their home security
and to remind motorists not to leave any valuables in their vehicles.
“Many young people are taking the advice not to drink alcohol and to
stay out of trouble,” said Inspector Paul Ludwig.
“Our safer summer
patrols will continue over the summer.”
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From the Dover Express, 4 September, 2008. Report by Yamurai Zendera
LITTLE PUBS SQUEEZED
SMALL pubs in Dover are slowly being driven out of business,
according to the Campaign for Real Ale.
CAMRA claims at least a quarter of the town's boozers have closed since
the millennium, saying this works out to around a dozen pub closures in
the last eight years.
The group puts this down to a variety of reasons, one of which it sees
as a worrying trend of leaseholders converting pubs into more-profitable
housing stock.
The smoking ban, stiff competition from pub chains popular with younger
drinkers and cheap booze in supermarkets has also put the squeeze on
smaller establishments, the campaigners say.
This month saw the closure of the "Britannia" pub in Townwall Street,
bought by the district council as part of its regeneration project in
and around the St James' Street and Russell Street areas.
Just last week CAMRA voiced its objection to a planning application for
a change of use to flats of the Shepherd Neame-owned "Hare & Hounds" in
Folkestone Road which closed last year.
CAMRA argued the pub should be reopened as it was an “asset for the
local community”. At the same meeting there was a separate proposal for
a change of use to flats of the "Prince of Orange" in New Street which
also shut last year.
Martin Atkins, chairman of CAMRA's Deal, Dover and Sandwich branch,
said: “We are not automatically against all applications for a change of
use of pubs to housing, but in the case of the "Hare & Hounds," the
nearest pub would be The "Crown & Sceptre" in Elms Vale Road, some 10 to
15 minutes' walk for some residents. We believe the pub is
an asset to the local community and every effort should be made to
maintain it.”]
The 59-year-old, who lives in East-brook Place, says he fears for the
future of Dover's small pubs, particularly those on the edge of town.
He said: “We chose not to object the "Prince of Orange" application as
there are several pubs in close proximity to it in the town centre.
“But what is happening is quite depressing. A dozen pubs in Dover have
closed since 2000.”
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From the Dover Mercury, 9 October 2008. By Graham Tutthill
CAMPAGNE HAS CUT UNDER-AGE DRINKING.
FEWER young people appear to be carrying alcohol illegally in the
Dover, Deal and Sandwich area, according to the results of the latest
police campaign.
A total of 170 youngsters in the district were stopped and checked by
police during the Safer Summer campaign, from July to September, but
only a very small proportion had alcohol on them with a total of 14
bottles and cans being confiscated and disposed of by officers.
Police visited 36 licensed premises to ensure that alcohol was not
being sold to under-age or very drunk consumers.
A total of 14 arrests were made including six for criminal damage and
four for public order offences. This was carried out by officers
specifically set aside to work on the campaign, and was in addition to
regular police patrol work.
At local schools young people were given advice and leaflets about
staying safe and staying out of trouble.
The campaign also encouraged people to review their home security and
reminded motorists not to leave any valuables in their vehicles.
A dedicated police sergeant monitored every call made to the control
room from the South Kent area on Friday and Saturday nights to ensure
that resources were sent where they were most needed as quickly as
possible.
The total number of all recorded crimes fell by 5.6 per cent from
1,295 in 2007 to 1,222 in 2008. The number of anti-social behaviour
related crimes fell by 18 per cent from 238 to 195.
Inspector Paul Ludwig of the Dover District Neighbourhood Policing
Unit said: “There is much greater awareness by young people and parents
that we will intervene against drunkenness and anti-social behaviour.”
“Our next co-ordinated safety campaign, Safer Autumn, starts next
week and will focus on Halloween, Bonfire Night and half term.”
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From the Kent on Sunday, 30 November 2008.
Darling tax threat to future of pubs
By STEVE KNIGHT and TONY PATEY
PINT AND A CHAT: The British social institution of the pub is being gradually strangled by unfair tax hikes, claim breweries
LEADING names in Kent's pub industry have accused Chancellor Alistair
Darling of putting the future of the trade at risk.
Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Favershem-based Shepherd Neame,
reacted angrily at plans for an eight per cent hike in alcohol tax and
said It could put hard-working families out of work.
His sentiments were
echoed by the operations director of the Broadstairs-based Thorley
Taverns chain, Phil Thorley who accused Mr Darling of "misunderstanding"
the pub trade.
Mr Neame said the eight per cent rise meant duty had now
risen 17 per rent in 2008. Hopes that VAT cuts from 17.5 per cent to
15 per rent would benefit people running pubs in Kent were dashed, he
said, by the inflation-busting increase in excise on alcohol.
Mr Neame
said: ''This vindictive pre-budget report is an act of gross cultural vandalism, born of
ignorance.
"The Government continues
to-regard the great British pub as a tax-collection point on one hand
and a social problem on the other. They have no regard for the
livelihoods of the thousands of people who work in Kent's pubs, nor
the suppliers who rely on their trade."
The industry faces a further four tax hikes in the next two years and sees the
closure of 35 pubs weekly across the UK.
Mr Neame said: ''There is no good
reason why brewers and publicans should he excluded in such a
spiteful fashion.
"Pubs make an invaluable contribution to the Kent
economy; they serve as a huge attraction to tourists and are the last
bastion of community life.
"This Government's futile attempts to
raise revenue have failed; the nine per cent duty increase at the last
budget has resulted in a £31 million drop in revenue.
"At a time when
unprecedented costs, inflation and the current economic crisis are
threatening the survival of our industry; why is this government intent
in throttling the life out of pubs and the communities they serve?"
Mr
Thorley, whose firm runs 21 pubs in east Kent as well as a number of
clubs, restaurants and function rooms, said the extra taxation was yet
another obstacle for the industry to overcome.
He said: "I think
the pub trade gets a very raw deal. The industry as a whole is blamed for
binge drinking and causing disturbances in towns, even though the majority now buy their
drink cheap at the supermarket before they
even leave the house.
"Mr Darling has shown a complete misunderstanding of the pressures licensees face, and it's only going
to get more difficult.
"He's allegedly trying to help small businesses
but pub owners are going to end up with more tax rather than less.
"The
social meeting place is part of the fabric of British society, and
unless this government does something about it it's going to
disappear."
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From the Dover Express, 4 December, 2008. 55p
ASBO BOOZER HELD AGAIN
A TROUBLESOME drinker given an Asbo and banned from Dover town centre
at night has been accused of breaching his order only days after
appearing in court.
 Cary
Barrass, 33, (left) of London Road, was given the antisocial behaviour
order at Folkestone Magistrates' Court on Thursday after he was arrested
for being drunk and disorderly in September.
The ruling strictly banned him from entering the town centre between
7pm and 7am, explicitly said he was not to be drunk in the town centre
at any time and ordered him not to be drunk and disorderly in public
anywhere in Kent.
Less than a week after leaving the court he was once again picked up
by police.
He was arrested in London Road on Sunday morning and charged with
using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent
and breaching an Asbo.
Barrass was refused bail and on Monday appeared at Folkestone
Magistrates' Court where he was remanded in custody until December 8.
Following the imposition of Thursday's Asbo, Sergeant Guy Thompson of
Dover district community safety unit said: “This Asbo sends a clear
message in the lead-up to Christmas that those who commit offences while
under the influence of alcohol will face serious consequences.
“Mr Barrass has now lost his right to come into Dover town centre in
the evening.”
The Asbo was issued under the Three Strikes scheme set up in 2005 to
deal with problem drinkers in Dover.
Under the programme anyone who commits three offences in the town
centre after drinking is banned from the streets at night.
Barrass became just the second person to be given an order under the
scheme.
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From the Dover Express, 4 December 2008.
DRINKING MESSAGE.
DON'T get wrecked this Christmas is the message for drivers.
As the party season gets under way, Kent Highway Services has stepped
up its anti-drink-driving campaign. A TV ad aims to target drivers
before they go out for the evening, and posters and leaflets are being
displayed in pubs.
Road-safety expert Steve Horton said: “Drinking and driving doesn't
just wreck Christmas, it wrecks lives. We're aiming to stop drivers
making that one bad decision that could end in tragedy.
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From the Dover Mercury, Thursday, 25 December, 2008.
HOTEL WILL CASH IN ON THE FALLING POUND
AN EAST Kent hotelier says he believes the county's tourism industry
will be given a much-needed boost in 2009 as the value of the pound
continues to fall.
Gavin Oakley, who owns "Wallet's
Court" Country House Hotel and Spa at Westcliffe and the "White
Cliffs Hotel" in St Margaret's, said visitors from Europe would
flock to the UK next year.
“Continued strength of the euro makes the UK a popular choice of
destination for European visitor,” said Mr Oakley.
He has already noticed a sharp increase in inquiries and bookings
from across the Channel for his two hotels, and the number of European
guests at "Wallett's Court"
in 2008 was up around 10 per cent on the previous year.
‘ ‘Being on the doorstep of Europe we find that the hotels are a
great barometer to judge the effects of sways in the balance between
euro and sterling,” he said.
“There is without doubt a strong correlation between the number of
European guests visiting our hotels and the relative strength or
weakness of the pound.”
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