LATE BUS BINGE DRINK FEARS (From Warrington Guardian)

LATE BUS BINGE DRINK FEARS

TORY borough councillor Fiona Bruce says the town's new late-night bus service is encouraging young people to drink for longer.

But supporters of the new scheme, which has the backing of the police and Warrington Borough Council, say it will prove vital in ensuring hundreds of people have a safe journey home from Warrington during the Christmas period.

The pilot scheme, which was launched on Friday, means for the first time there are late night buses taking revellers home at the end of the night. The scheme runs until the New Year.

But Clr Bruce said young people were still being let down by Labour in the town.

She said: "This week we hear that 29 per cent of young girls are binge drinking - yet what help is Blair giving them by extending opening hours?

"This Christmas in Warrington, the Labour council, in a move supported by the Liberals, has helped arrange for convoys of early hours buses to make it easier for young people to get home from night time drinking.

"Common sense tells us that if it is easier for them to get home in the early hours, young people will go in to drink and continue to drink longer!

"Yet at the same time the Labour-run council has cut down the funding for local youth facilities in places nearer young people's homes and families like Lymm, and Penketh where I'm a borough councillor."

But the chairman of the council's licensing committee, Clr Brian Maher, said the scheme was vital in cutting problems and trouble in the town centre when people are waiting to go home.

He said: "After people have enjoyed themselves they get taken home safely and it stops trouble from occurring in the town centre and on the way home. The idea with the buses is to stop anti-social behaviour in the town and on the estates when people are walking home.