UK: Hundreds arrested for alcohol-fuelled crime

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 21 August 2009

Police have arrested more than 200 people in one morning in connection with alcohol-related crimes in Manchester, in a massive raid across the UK city.

Dawn raids by hundreds of police officers across the Greater Manchester area resulted in more than 200 arrests this morning, police said today (21 August). A further 82 arrests have been made in recent days.

"Warrants were executed on every division within the Force area, hunting down criminals responsible for alcohol-fuelled violent assaults and those who have jumped bail and were on the run," said Greater Manchester Police.

The major crackdown is in response to a survey by the Government revealing that one in three people across the northwest of England perceive drunk or rowdy behaviour as a "big or fairly big problem", police added.

"All too frequently, alcohol is a major cause of aggression and results in innocent people being subjected to violent and unprovoked assaults," said Greater Manchester Police deputy chief constable Simon Byrne.

He said this week's raids are "just the start of an ongoing process" and support the force's 'think safe, drink safe' campaign.

It remains unclear how the police collected information on those arrested.

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