Huntingdon Highest Levels of Alcohol-Related Crimes in District

Huntingdon has twice as many alcohol-related violent crimes per pub as anywhere else in the district. There are 14.4 offences per pub in Huntingdon which is more than double the next highest figure of 6.5 in St Neots. Ramsey and St Ives faired better at 5.6 & 5.5 respectively.

The report which will be presented to Huntingdon District Council on Tuesday (November 1st) as part of a report on the impact of the night-time economy and the sale of alcohol on health in Huntingdonshire. Clearly Huntingdon is the highest priority for the Council.

The majority of the incidents are on Friday and Saturday nights and involved the 18-24 age group while there were more under-18s injured or committing violence near St Neots pubs.

The report also reveals figures from Hinchingbrooke Hospital, showing the number of assault victims treated every month.

Since the hospital began sharing the data in February 2011, there have been 53 admissions for assault, more than half of which were on a Friday or Saturday night (29). A quarter of patients were 16 or under – including one as young as 11 years old – with the largest proportion in the 17-30 age group.

Of the 53 patients, 34 per cent were female – a figure the report says is "higher than expected" compared to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where typically less than 25 per cent of assault victims treated are female.

The Pubwatch scheme, which has already been a success in St Neots, has now been launched in Huntingdon and we shall see how that works and whether it reduces the incidents or not.

Are you concerned about the levels of alcohol-related violence in and around our pubs?