DRINK-fuelled crime on the streets of Hyndburn is higher than ever before, with offences of drunkenness more than trebling in the last five years.

And the fact that drink played a major factor in the death of a father-of-seven, kicked to death outside a town centre pub, should be a lesson to all, a leading police officer told licensing justices.

Ray Hampson, 39, was kicked to death outside the Bees Knees, Accrington, in December 1997. His killer Steven Taylor was recently jailed for five years after admitting manslaughter.

A third of all people arrested in Hyndburn during the last year were drunk or had consumed alcohol, according to a police report.

At the annual 'Brewster' licensing sessions, Superintendent Wendy Walker said: "Despite the continuing attention of uniformed officers, the number of persons arrested for drunkenness continues to rise. 1998 has seen another quite significant increase in those offences - up 12 per cent to a new high of 421.

"The number of persons dealt with for public order offences and breach of the peace, most if not all of which are drink related, has also risen. "I spoke briefly last year about the death of a man in a violent incident outside a public house in Accrington town centre. The 'drink factor' has been dramatically and graphically confirmed as being the major factor during the trial and should be a lesson to all."

Throughout the year police using back-up from mounted officers and dogs have launched operations on high-risk weekends to try to prevent trouble. Supt Walker said the operations continued to be a success and were surprisingly well received by drinkers and revellers.

She also revealed police had made visits to problem pubs and clubs. Several licensees had been given verbal warnings, usually for after hours drinking.

According to the police report:

There were 421 prosecutions and cautions for drunkenness in 1998, compared with 124 in 1993.

Out of 4,836 people arrested in 1998, 33 per cent were drunk or had consumed alcohol.

Four licensees were prosecuted and five were cautioned over the way they ran their premises.

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