‘I will get tough on binge-drink culture’

Tuesday 18th August 2009, 2:59PM BST.

The police have already put greater resources into patrolling town on weekend nights

THE Home Affairs Minister today vowed to get tough on Jersey’s violent drinking culture as new figures showed serious attacks were on the rise in St Helier.

Senator Ian Le Marquand has pledged licensing law reform and tougher bans from pubs and clubs to help tackle violence on the streets.

He spoke out after police released statistics showing that the number of late-night assaults had gone up by a third compared with last year.

Already in 2009, a total of 84 serious assaults have been reported in or around pubs and clubs between the hours of 8 pm and 4 am. That is a substantial increase on last year’s total in the same period, which was 65.

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