A staggering 4 786 litres of alcohol were confiscated by law enforcement agencies over the festive season from beaches and public places.
On Boxing Day (26 December), 2 315 bottles of alcohol were confiscated with a total of 8 699 bottles (4 786,66 litres) seized from Thursday 16 December to Monday 3 January.
JP Smith, the City’s Mayco member for safety and security, said on New Year’s Day confiscations totalled 1 206 bottles.
“I think the weather on New Year’s Day was the biggest contributing factor, as our beaches were not nearly as busy as they might have been otherwise. Or perhaps the penny is finally dropping, and some people are starting to realise that alcohol is best left at home.”
Smith added that removing and impounding alcohol ensured fewer people drive while drunk.
“Removing the alcohol through impounding it is no mean feat. Many people become riotous or refuse to cooperate. But I want to remind the public that every litre of alcohol confiscated is potentially one fewer person driving drunk, or swimming drunk, or getting involved in a fight or an accident or hurting someone else.”
During the Covid-19 lockdown festive season 2020/2021, law enforcement agencies confiscated 601 bottles of alcohol on Boxing Day and 43 bottles on New Year’s Day.
The previous year, 2019/2020, around 2 996 bottles were seized on Boxing Day and 3 684 on New Year’s Day.
