NEARLY 100 people have been arrested during a high profile police operation to clamp down on late-night drinking and violence in Warrington town centre.
Operation Irvine was launched to cut alcohol-related crime and restore the town’s damaged reputation – which is making some people too frightened to visit the town centre.
During the past five weeks 205 people have been dealt with. Ninety six people have been arrested and 76 ordered to leave the area under Section 27 Direction to Leave notices.
Another 33 people were given a fixed penalty notice for disorder, a verbal warning or a summons.
High-visibility patrols and intervention at the earliest opportunity have been used to tackle all forms of alcohol related anti-social behaviour.
Officers carried out visits to premises across the town to ensure licensees are adhering to licence conditions. Extra police worked within the CCTV control centre to assist staff with early identification of anyone involved in violent crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.
Acting Inspector Neil Drum said: “The night time phase of the operation has focused on tackling not only those committing violence but also those involved in abusive and disorderly behaviour. This has included urinating in public places, being drunk and incapable and littering.
“It is clear that this type of behaviour not only creates an environment that damages the reputation of the town centre it also makes people feel unsafe and can escalate into more serious incidents if allowed to go unchallenged.”
He said officers wanted to set standards for people visiting the town and reinforce the message that irresponsible behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated.
“We are determined to do our best to ensure Warrington town centre is a safe environment for everyone who lives, works and visits and we hope our continued efforts to tackle these issues are helping to reassure members of the public,” he said.
Information gathered will help identify repeat offenders and would-be trouble makers have been warned to steer clear of the town centre
“We are all committed to making Warrington town centre a safer place and we will continue to ensure that positive action is taken against those who choose to break the law, cause a nuisance and spoil a night out for everyone else,” he added.
