Nightlife Binge drinking still an issue, say police

ANEW report has exposed the underbelly of Bristol’s bustling nightlife, with booze-fuelled fights and disorder demanding huge police resources.

Police have been dispatched to one particular club 325 times in the past two years, and say binge drinking is “still an issue” in the city.

Avon and Somerset Police’s report has been shared as part of a council consultation, seeking to extend current restrictions on alcohol licensing.

Of all the premises in the city centre with an alcohol licence, Pryzm nightclub was named as that which officers were most frequently sent to.

Data covers the 24 months from May 2018 to May 2020, only including call-outs linked with the nighttime economy. There were 44,709 incidents in total in the city centre, and clear hotspots can be seen in certain areas.

Police logged 325 call-outs to Pryzm, including 64 alleged incidents of antisocial behaviour, 74 of assaults, 24 of public order offences and 10 of sexual assaults.

A spokesperson for Pryzm Bristol said: “Safety is always our main priority and we are proud of the standards that we deliver.

“Pryzm Bristol is by far the biggest club in Somerset and Avon, so will statistically have a higher

Pryzm nightclub level of incidents than any other venue in the region.

“This does not mean the club is unsafe and we have worked tirelessly to ensure we do everything possible to protect our customers. Subsequently, most calls are proactive in order to safeguard our customers and people circulating in the vicinity.”

Second on the list was SWX club on Nelson Street, which saw 228 call-outs, followed by O2 Academy with 156.

Both establishments have been contacted for comment.

As for the worst-affected streets, Stokes Croft was top of the list, with 958 call-outs in that two-year period. Park Street followed with 778, then Broadmead with 629. The former recorded 106 assaults, which was more than any other location included in the data.

Officers spent 150 hours responding to incidents on Park Street, and a further 129 hours responding to incidents at Pryzm.

The Bearpit was also in the top 20, with 365 incidents linked to the nighttime economy recorded there.

The report stated: “Binge drinking is still an issue for Bristol city centre. There are still many licensed businesses in the city centre that thrive on focusing on young people and providing discounted alcohol and extended hours, sometimes until 0600hrs.

“Alcopops and discounted drinking offers are still prevalent in most establishments within the city centre CIA.”

A ‘CIA’ is a cumulative impact assessment, which local councils can introduce in a specified area, making it harder to: obtain a new alcohol licence within that area; extend opening hours, or expand the premises. They are usually used to identify areas with a high density of places selling alcohol, and the impact on crime and disorder in the vicinity.

Bristol’s CIA covers most of the city centre, from Harbourside all the way up to Park Row, Upper Maudlin Street and along Stokes Croft. The council is seeking to renew the CIA with one amendment – to remove Broadmead from the boundary, because it says there is “insufficient evidence to show that the Broadmead area is at saturation point in respect of licensed premises.”

People can respond to the consultation until October 28.

Clubs across the country remain closed due to the coronavirus rules and social distancing, but bars and pubs were allowed to reopen in July.