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Private 'drunk tanks' proposed

Special "drunk tanks" should be used to look after intoxicated people who are incapable of looking after themselves, instead of police and NHS, a chief constable has said. Drunk people would be charged for the service when they had sobered up.

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Privately run 'drunk tanks' called for by senior officer

The Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police has called for "drunk cells" run by commercial companies to deal with the problems of anti-social drinking.

He has suggest that those who "get themselves so drink they cannot look after themselves" should pay the company the next day.

Read: Put intoxicated people in 'drunk tanks' says police chief

Chief Constable Adrian Lee says drunken and disorderly behaviour has become too common and we have become "too tolerant" to offenders who take up valuable police and health resources, as Dan Rivers reports.

More: Alastair Campbell - The UK has to admit it has a drinking problem

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Your views: Police chief calls for 'drunk tanks'

[A chief constable has called for special "drunk tanks" to look after intoxicated people instead of the NHS or police]((http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-09-18/put-very-intoxicated-in-drunk-tanks-says-police-chief/).

We asked our Facebook followers whether they agreed with the new "drunk tank" proposals, here is a selection of their comments.

Other countries have drunk tanks/hostels. If you are in such a state you cannot look after yourself and there are no friends to take you home, you are put there and have to pay in the morning. Think it's a great idea.

– Joanne Lord

It won't stop alcoholism, they won't be able to afford to pay - then they'll be taken to court and huge amounts of taxpayers money will be wasted to try and get the money back. Small repayments will be agreed - meanwhile the following weekend the drunk goes out again and gets into the same state - pointless exercise.

– Kaz Langley

Great idea, I have been working as club security for over 10 years and I know about other countries doing this. 1, It would free up police. 2, People will learn from being sent to the drunk tank and being fined. It's ok to have a good night out but not to the point of how some people get.

– Kirsty Williams

Public encouraged to speak out over 'drunk tanks'

The policeman behind the proposed privately-run "drunk tanks" is encouraging the public to make their views on the idea heard.

Speaking to Daybreak, Chief Constable Adrian Lee said: "We have seen a huge cultural change in terms of drink drive. Can we see a similar cultural change about people's attitude towards irresponsible drinking?"

He added: "It is the public's view that I am very interested in hearing."

'95% of police' think drunks take up too much time

A Daybreak survey of police officers has revealed that 95% believe that too much police time is spent on dealing with drunk individuals.

More than 40% have said that assault is the most common alcohol-related crime, followed by anti-social behaviour.

The programme investigated Britain's relationship with alcohol after a police chief called for privately run "drunk tanks" to be set up to look after inebriated people unable to care for themselves.

Read more: Private 'drunk tanks' proposed

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Minister: Alcohol turning cities into 'no-go areas'

The Government has thrown some support behind the campaign for privately-run drunk tanks used being used to house people so inebriated they can no longer look after themselves.

Crime prevention minister Jeremy Browne said "drunken behaviour" had turned some places into "no-go areas for law abiding people".

I welcome this campaign to raise awareness of the impact of alcohol-fuelled crime, which costs around £11 billion a year in England and Wales.

Frontline police officers are all too aware of the drunken behaviour and alcohol-fuelled disorder that can effectively turn towns and cities into no-go areas for law-abiding people, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

– Crime prevention minister Jeremy Browne

Drunk people 'clogging up' A&E

Too many drunk people up are "clogging up" A&E wards and would not be adequately looked after if they were kept in the cells, a police chief has said.

Chief Constable Adrian Lee wants privately-run drunk tanks to be used to look after the intoxicated and fixed penalties issued for the care provided.

We are not the experts on health. It is quite difficult to work out where the best place to put a drunk is. Is it a police station, or do they need to be at a hospital?

It is a big demand on police but also not the best way of looking after the specific complex duty of care where there is a health demand.

Accident and emergency departments are under huge pressure nationally, particularly on a Friday and Saturday nights.

Why should we have drunks clogging up the A&E, causing further problems potentially? Why not put them somewhere safe where you could have private medical staff on hand?

– Chief Constable Adrian Lee

Put intoxicated in 'drunk tanks' says police chief

Drinkers who are incapable of looking after themselves should be put in privately-run drunk tanks, a police chief has said. Credit: PA

Drunken public disorder has become so bad privately-run drunk tanks should be considered as a way of tackling soaring levels of alcohol fuelled crime, a police chief has said.

Chief Constable Adrian Lee, the national policing lead on alcohol harm, did "not see why" police and health services should clean up after "someone who has chosen to go out and get so drunk that they cannot look after themselves".

He suggested taking intoxicated revellers to "a drunk cell" owned by a commercial company with staff trained in dealing with excessively drunk people and charge them in the morning.

His comments come amid a Government-wide review of all contracts held by Serco and G4S, two of the country's biggest private providers of public services.

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