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9:31am Friday 4th July 2008

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Police bid to curb 24-hour
boozing collapses

POLICE plans to end 24-hour drinking in Weymouth have been left in tatters after a licensee withdrew his support.

“I was told everyone will be signed-up to this but they haven’t. So I will not be closing at 4am. The financial loss would result in the loss of jobs and I’m not prepared to do it. If they’ve got a policing problem they should resolve and not start affecting people’s trades.”

Landlord Steve Parker

An agreement for the town's pubs and nightclubs to close at 4am was due to come into force from tonight.

But at the 11th hour Dorothy Inn landlord Steve Parker opted out of the scheme, throwing it into doubt.

Inspector Pete Meteau, Weymouth and Portland section commander, had hoped to confirm the start of the initiative at a meeting at the Rendezvous.

But Mr Parker told the audience of licensees, ambulance personnel and security teams he was withdrawing.

He had previously agreed - but changed his mind after learning Tuatara had not signed up and the Rum Shack had not been approached.

Mr Parker said: "I was told everyone will be signed-up to this but they haven't. So I will not be closing at 4am.

"The financial loss would result in the loss of jobs and I'm not prepared to do it. If they've got a policing problem they should resolve it and not start affecting people's trades."

Thirteen licence-holders in Weymouth had signed up, including Banus, Harry's, Dusk and the Lazy Lizard.

They agreed to close at 4am for a trial period after police reported a rise in violent crime in the town between 3am and 6am.

The plans were devised to prevent tourists enjoying morning walks from witnessing anti-social behaviour by people still out from the night before.

Insp Meteau, the driving force behind the scheme, had expected it to be brought in tonight.

He said: "I'm very, very disappointed as the Dorothy Inn was signed up like everyone else.

"We worked hard to get support from all the necessary licensees but as we were set to launch it seems that a minority could not sign up to the scheme.

"As it is a voluntary agreement, if one place is open later it puts everyone else at a disadvantage.

"All is not lost however - we have support from 99 per cent of the licensees in Weymouth town centre.

"They felt that by volunteering for this scheme they'd be helping to reduce alcohol-related disorder that is associated with night time drinking."

He added: "This was an unexpected and unforeseen hiccup.

"I am confident and very hopeful that this scheme will go ahead - we just have a little bit more work to do to make it happen.

"Take it from me, this isn't the end of the story."

Violent crime has fallen since 24-hour drinking was introduced in November 2005 - but it has risen by 44.5 per cent between 3am and 6am.

Weymouth and Portland alcohol licensing enforcement officer Mike McCabe was upset with the postponement of the voluntary scheme.

"I just think it's disappointing that one venue can take such a stance," he said. "It shows his lack of commitment to stopping alcohol-related crime and disorder."

Under the plans Weymouth nightspots would have stopped admitting at 3am in order to reduce the number of people moving between venues.

The Swan Inn manager Kim Newstead, who signed the agreement, said it should still go ahead.

She added: "The problem we have in Weymouth is from 3am onwards. We're lucky to have an inspector that wants to address it. This scheme is the right way to do it."