last updated: Friday 2 May 2008, 10:24am

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Arrests of drunk women soar

Binge drinking

The number of women arrested for being drunk and disorderly has soared, according to a police survey.

New figures show there were 5,891 women detained for the offence last year compared with 3,847 in 2003/04 - an increase of more than 50 per cent.

One force, West Midlands, reported a 12-fold hike from 59 arrests five years ago to 731 last year.

And in Gwent, South Wales, the rise was nearly seven-fold, from 29 to 190 in the same period.

The website asked all 52 police forces in the UK for details of the number of women arrested for being drunk and disorderly or comparable crimes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Of those asked, 21 forces reported a like-for-like increase over the five-year period, giving an overall rise of 53 per cent, while 15 forces saw numbers fall or remain the same.

Chief Constable Mike Craik of Northumbria Police, where arrests of drunken women rose from 1,414 to 2,101, said: 'The reality is that clearly more still needs to be done, particularly about underage drinking and the associated youth disorder.

'That may well include rigorous action on the price of alcohol, a ban on advertising, increased education and advertising around the harm it can do, external regulation or even taking a uniquely harmful substance out of the normal retail chain.

'There should also be an end to discounted drinks, such as two-for-one deals, happy hours and supermarkets selling alcohol at below cost prices.

'There should be a ban on the sale of alcopops and no advertising of alcohol.'

Chief executive of Alcohol Concern, Don Shenker, said: 'There's no doubt that the number of women binge-drinking has gone up - they are following the example of young men.

'Pubs and bars are now targeting women with special offers and cheap drinks to encourage them to drink more. It should be stopped.'

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