Wimbledon police have promised to crackdown on out-of-hand revelers this festive season. Reporter Martin Kornacki puts their reactions to the test.

“I've never sobered up so quickly before in my life.

I'm not sure how I became a bin-kicking lout after a couple of Christmas beers - maybe I thought my friends would be impressed when I took on two police officers, but I'm not feeling so brave now they have their knees firmly planted in my back.

I try and struggle free but the cuffs slapped on me are rigid and cut into my wrists.

I can feel the damp from the dirty pavement soaking into my best clothes.

To the bemusement of those around me I'm lifted up and put into the back of a waiting police van. The door slams shut and there is a moment's silence before we move off when I think to myself - I wish I hadn’t done this.

Luckily I'm just taking part in a campaign to discourage people from taking unnecessary risks over the Christmas period – and I've agreed to be arrested by Wimbledon police to see how it feels to have my evening cut short unnecessarily.

My reward for verbally abusing a police officer in a drunken rant in Wimbledon town centre is a night in the cells at Wimbledon Police Station and it could be worse, I'd normally stand the chance of a criminal record and a mandatory £80 fine.

This would restrict my travel to countries such as the US. There goes that dream holiday to New York I'd always promised my girlfriend we'd do together.

When I'm released at six in the morning I can see the last of the night's revellers getting off a night bus and wishing each other Merry Christmas.

I try and think of how to put a positive spin on things - but my night ending at 9pm in a stuffy, flatly lit police cell, with a metal toilet with no seat for company doesn't really give me much to work with.

The evening hasn't been all about locking up a journalist for the night though.

The Metropolitan Police in conjunction with Merton Council have launched a campaign over the Christmas period to make sure people who want to let their hair down over Christmas don't end up locked up like me.

It's called 'be social, be sensible, be safe' – and its message is for people to plan their journeys home before they go out at night.

Wimbledon Chief Inspector Mark Payne explains: “We want people to have a good time and enjoy the town centre.

“We know everyone has a good time over Christmas and that’s absolutely right and proper, I’ll be having a good time myself, but it’s about people thinking about the consequences before they go and drink – so have a plan for getting home, make sure you have a number and it’s a licensed cab and you won’t get yourself into an inappropriate situation.”

And he is quick to point out that although the perception of drinking related disorder in Wimbledon is getting worse, the number of offences isn’t actually increasing.

“We’re having more safer neighbourhood teams on late shifts in the run up to Christmas to reassure people,” says Chief Inspector Payne.

To back up this plan Wimbledon police will have officers in plain clothes looking for illegal taxi touts over Christmas.

“People that haven’t got insurance shouldn’t be driving a cab. We’re going to be looking for those people and targeting them, the reason being if you get into one of those cabs and have an accident you’re not going to be insured and it's just bad for everybody,” says Chief Inspector Payne.

Chief Superintendent Chris Bourlet adds: “We're not kill joys here at the police.

“We just want you to appreciate that when you have had too much to drink, you can become vulnerable and get yourself into problematic situations.

“Think about how you are going to get home before your night starts so that you get home safely."

If you need a taxi to get home over Christmas text 'HOME' to cabwise on 60835 and you'll get the number for a licensed minicab sent to your mobile. It sure beats the short ride from the town centre to a police cell."

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