McDonald's staff being harassed, assaults on emergency workers, and police officers being called homophobic slurs are among incidents recorded in Birkenhead over the past six months.
Drunken anti-social behaviour continues to be a big problem in the town centre with more than 300 arrests, violent crimes, and anti-social behaviour recorded between February and August this year.
A report on drunk behaviour by Merseyside Police details harassment of staff at the McDonald's on Grange Road, a couple threatened with being glassed, and bakery staff threatened with being stabbed. People in the community said they had seen drinkers often “urinating against walls or in bushes” as well as large groups of “youths with balaclavas.”
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In one incident before being arrested, one woman was said to call a police officer a series of slurs, while two other officers were verbally abused.
Figures show that from February to August 2022, there were 323 reports of alcohol related crime with 181 reports of violent crime. Police said that the actual figure could be far higher as the public “by their own admission to local officers will no longer report this to police unless things get out of hand” and many crimes go unreported.
Surveys done with people in the local community said that 84% said they suffer from anti-social behaviour with 76% saying this was alcohol related.
Constable Peter Hason said he had seen an increase of alcohol use in the streets since covid, with the number of street drinkers increasing each week.
He said: “This steady increase has instantly caused issues in the Town Centre impacting businesses and the public directly.
“These incidents have resulted in assaults including assaults on emergency workers and other offences such as thefts and increased anti-social behaviour.”
In April 2019 a new Police Officer post was created in conjunction with Merseyside Police and businesses in Birkenhead Town Centre. Constable Greg Hawkswell took on this role having worked in the area for 12 years.
He said: “There are so many premises offering the sale of alcohol within Birkenhead Town Centre that they don’t have to go far to find somewhere that will serve them, even if they are refused in one or more off-licences first.
“The number of retail outlets selling alcohol means that this technique ensures that they will never not be able to obtain alcohol if they so wish.
“As a result it is the issuing of licences which I feel is the greatest area requiring on‐going scrutiny and control by the local authority and their partners within the already defined SCIP area.”
The report will be brought before Wirral Council’s licensing act committee as it reviews the special cumulative impact policy in central Birkenhead on November 16. The policy looks at the number of places selling alcohol, documenting drinking off premises as well as wider issues in the area.
Police officers have called for the policy to remain in place saying removing it would make things worse. However a licensing consultant has asked for the council to review the policy saying it preserves a “low status quo.”
Ian Rushton, a consultant representing a shop in Birkenhead, said that applications were being rejected purely for being in the area.
He said: “This is not how it should work. Regardless of whether the application is within a cumulative impact policy area or not, each application must be considered on its merit.”
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