Most on-the-spot fines go to drunks

Drunken louts are increasingly being targeted with on-the-spot fines as police get tough on disorder in the street.

Figures released today show more than 8,000 troublemakers were issued with fixed-penalty notices in London in the first year of the scheme.

However, more than half failed to pay within the 21-day deadline, and officials admit there is no data on how many fines are still outstanding. But one police chief says that despite this, the fines are an increasingly effective way of tackling the epidemic of drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Commander Chris Allison, head of policing in Westminster and a spokesman on licensing, said officers were issuing an increasing number of fixed-penalty notices. The figure is expected to rise even further after the introduction-of 24-hour drinking. The latest statistics show the Met handed out 8,715 fixed-penalty notices from 1 October 2003 to 31 October 2004. More than 8,400 were for drunk or disorderly and aggressive behaviour. Nationwide, more than 40,000 fixed penalty notices were handed out in the same period.

Penalty notices for disorder were first launched in 2002 amid increasing concern over anti-social disorder and drunken behaviour in the street. They were intended to help deal with

the problems quickly and simply. Mr Allison said offenders in London were usually arrested and taken to a police station so their identities could be verified. In the past it was claimed that many offenders avoided punishment by giving a false name and address.

Even so the scheme saved two to three hours of officers' time.

Offences covered include wasting police time, drunkenness, harassment, trespassing on railways and trying to buy alcohol for under-18s.

The scheme has recently been extended to include shoplifting.

Police can hand out ?40 or ?80 penalties depending on the crime, and provided the offender pays within 21 days they do not receive a criminal record. If they fail to pay, the fine more than doubles and is enforced through the courts.

However, the Met said 51 per cent of people failed to pay on time. The Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority, which is responsible for pursuing unpaid fines in London, was unable to give details of how many had been collected - partly because many of those fined lived outside London.

A total of 3,672 tickets for ?40 fines were handed out to people for being drunk and disorderly in London.

A further 3,811 tickets for ?80 fines were issued for causing harassment, alarm and distress - generally unruly and aggressive behaviour in the street.

Mr Allison said: "This is a new way of dealing very quickly with elements of behaviour that need some sort of intervention but do not need to tie up police

officers for three to four hours of bureaucracy and form-filling. This allows us to stamp down quickly on anti-social behaviour. All our communities are telling us to do something about it. My instructions to officers in the West End is to no longer walk by, but to intervene early to prevent trouble."