The main concern of residents remains antisocial behaviour and crime.
Violent crime in Spelthorne caused by drinking alcohol has increased since Government allowed 24-hour licenses.
Residents must understand the major part they play in the licensing of premises for the sale of alcohol because under the law if there is no written objection to the application, then Spelthorne Council has no alternative but to grant the application.
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If residents object to what the publican or shop owner is doing, they should object in writing and in both cases support of the police will strengthen their case.
As far as the Government's increase in alcohol duty is concerned, we are all aware of the fact this as well as petrol/diesel tax, road charging, environmental taxes and car tax rises are stealth taxes.
There is only one way to deal with alcohol abuse and that is to make the organisation that sells the alcohol responsible for the transgressions caused by the sale of the product, off their premises as well as on. Will the Government do that?
Certainly not while alcohol tax helps to fill the black hole in the country's finances caused by not holding reserves from the good years prior to 1997 to help in a downturn as I forecast in this paper in 1998 when our pension prospects were decimated by the chancellor's removal of £5billion every year.
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