Home Secretary targets violence at closing time

Eight London "hotspots" are being targeted to tackle drink-fuelled violence at closing time.

The flashpoint areas are the West End and the town centres of Sutton, Stratford, Camden, Croydon, Kingston and Romford, plus Peckham High Street.

Police say they combine the potent mix of pubs and clubs, takeaways and transport hubs. They have the highest number of offences of "most serious violence" among 13 to 24-year-olds — ranging from murder to grievous bodily harm — particularly between midnight and 3am.

A new drive by Home Secretary Alan Johnson to cut the number of people killed or badly injured in fights includes measures such as:

* The use of "marshals" by taxi firms and bus companies to prevent jostling, queue-jumping disputes and other clashes that break out as drinkers go home.

* More rigorous licensing conditions will be imposed on fast-food outlets under which they could be required to appoint security staff or to limit the number of people they allow on their premises at any one time.

* High visibility policing, combined with the use of search arches and "wands" to detect knives and other weapons and the deployment of drugs dogs to deter dealers and casual users.

* Mobile "triage" sites will be set up by health staff to provide more rapid treatment when fights do occur.

A further part of the campaign will be an attempt to encourage businesses to help reduce such incidents by joining in "socially responsible" efforts to change the image of high-risk areas.

Announcing the new drive today, Warwickshire Chief Constable Keith Bristow, who leads the Government's Tackling Knives Action Programme, said the aim was to build on recent success in reducing the number of stabbings by delivering a similar reduction in all forms of serious youth violence. "It is about saving lives and protecting communities from the awful things that sometimes happen," he said.

A number of other unspecified "economically deprived" areas with similar high levels of violence will also be targeted, as well as other "hotspots" elsewhere in the country.

The new measures will form the centrepiece of the second stage of the Tackling Knives Action Programme, which was launched in June last year in response to public concern about the rising number of fatal stabbings in London and elsewhere.

Figures released today show the first phase of the programme, which was deployed in 10 areas around the country, produced mixed results with an overall 17 per cent drop in violent offences involving knives and other "sharp instruments" where the victims were aged 19 and under, but a rise of six in fatal stabbings.

In London, the figures, which cover the period from last July to March were better, with three fewer knife killings and a drop of 20.9 per cent in the number of all violent knife offences involving victims aged 19 or under.

There was also a 12.4 per cent drop in the number of older victims. More recent Met figures, which are not included in today's Home Office report, have confirmed these trends.

Other statistics today show peak periods for violent offending involving 13 to 24-year-olds in London are between midnight and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. The next highest risk period is on the same nights between 9pm and midnight.