Cheap supermarket alcohol 'fuelling violence'

Experts at Cardiff University say cheap alcohol in supermarkets is fuelling violence, and making booze more affordable now the economic downturn is over would be a mistake.

Figures from the Violence Research Group show the number of people injured in serious violence dropped by 10% in 2014 compared to 2013.

But researchers said that more than 200,000 people going to emergency departments in England and Wales every year because of alcohol is "still far too many".

As in other years, the bulk of the violence still being committed involves males between the ages of 18 and 30, mainly taking place in urban streets at night.

Researchers attributed the reduction to a combination of factors including an increase in CCTV leading to police intervening in fights more quickly; better sharing of anonomised data between A&E departments; police and local government; and people drinking less due to alcohol being more expensive and having less disposable income.