Last updated at 15:22, Tuesday, 11 December 2012

POLICE have warned revellers of the potentially dire consequences of drinking excessively and losing control over the festive period by emphasising where people could end up spending the night - in police cells.

South Cumbria officers - along with Business Against Crime South Lakes Partnership (BAC) and Kendal Barwatch - are raising awareness to the problem of excess drinking, drink-fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour by using spoof leaflets advertising the police station’s cells as premier accommodation “The Lock ‘Em Inn” for people who cause trouble while drunk.

The leaflets, sponsored by the Elephant yard in Kendal, will be distributed in pubs, clubs, supermarkets, libraries, doctor’s surgeries and anywhere that the public have access so that the community are made aware long before they get to the pubs and clubs.

Inspector Paul Latham of Kendal Police said: “The idea is to promote the perils of binge drinking in a humorous and eye-catching way.

"We see too many people who don't know when to stop on a night out. They drink too much and get involved in alcohol-related crime, disorder and domestic violence.

“It has a serious message but it’s given in a spoof fashion so that more consideration will be given to it.

"At the end of the day a criminal record is for life, not just for Christmas.

“The “hotel” is advertised as ‘convenient accommodation with lots of bars' within easy reach of the pubs, clubs and criminal courts, The Lock ‘Em Inn never turns anybody away who has broken the law.

"All rooms are disinfected on a regular basis and undergo a full refurbishment every decade.”

Peter Boyd, the chairman of Business Against Crime, added: “The aim is to encourage people not to drink to excess. We want people to enjoy themselves, but in a safe, sensible and social manner.”

First published at 11:29, Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk