7:10am Tuesday 9th December 2008
By Ben Thompson
Forget harsher sentences or even stun guns to clamp down on the drunks in Wimbledon this festive period - police will be armed with lollipops instead.
Antisocial behaviour has escalated in the town centre forcing even the council’s street cleaners to wear stab proof vests on Friday nights.
One residents’ association has even started patrolling the Broadway to keep a log of the drunken behaviour blighting their lives.
But police believe revellers causing trouble will be placated by sucking on a lollipop.
Chief inspector Mark Payne of Merton Police, said: “Unfortunately, some people do occasionally have too much to drink, and end up ruining the night for others.
“Lollipops have proved to be an excellent way of calming people down and reducing violence breaking out at closing time.”
Research has showed the sugar in the sweets stabilises the behaviour of people who have drunk a lot of alcohol, while also curbing their noise levels.
Thames Valley Police reported a 10 percent drop in violent assaults when they introduced the measure, and Leigh Terrafranca from the Wimbledon East Hillside Residents’ Association welcomed the move.
She said: “It might be different but I don’t have a huge problem if it works.
“To be honest we’re just praying it’s freezing cold and the weather’s miserable this Christmas because that way there won’t be as many drunks outside making it impossible for us to sleep.”
Safer Merton successfully bid for £11,000 from the home office, paying for police and door staff at Wimbledon’s clubs to hand out lollipop and information leaflets.
But Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, called for the money to be handed back to taxpayers.
He said: “This is a ludicrous waste of money. People want the police fighting crime, not handing out nursery school gimmicks.”
Merton Council’s cabinet member for community safety and engagement Councillor Tariq Ahmad said: “The cost of a lollipop is only around 3p.
“This is one of a range of schemes to come from the funding and it isn’t going to mean police spend their time handing out sweets instead of fighting crime.”
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