Close down bars, says London police chief

The head of London’s Metropolitan police has made the extraordinary claim that drink-related crime should be blamed on bars and pubs, not the people who choose to drink too much.

Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe (Photo: Wiki)

The commissioner of Britain’s largest police force, Sir Bernard Hogan Howe, suggested that in order to counter violent drink-related crime either fewer bars should receive licenses or more should have their licenses revoked.

He is quoted in The Times referring to bars and pubs as the “offenders”, rather than the people who commit violent acts. He said, “We know that many injuries occur inside or outside licensed premises, and if we can close down the repeat offenders, we will.”

Continuing, he suggested that there are too many bars and pubs and that more should be closed to counter violence. This is despite the fact that alcohol consumption has markedly decreased in the UK in the last decade. It is also the case that dozens of pubs are already closing every week in the UK leading to heavy job losses, according to industry research.

He said, “Do we really need as many licensed premises chasing limited business? The system needs reform and we have to police it better.”

Sir Hogan-Howe said that 80% of night-time arrests were alcohol related, but it is unclear what percentage of that is to do with alcohol purchased in on-trade premises, and alcohol consumed at home.

He also called for a step-up in health campaigns about the risks of over-drinking, during his speech at the Royal Society of Arts in London March 12.