BREATH TESTS AT ASCOT TO CRACK DOWN ON THE YOBS
ROYAL ASCOT racegoers will face breathalyser tests and a team of sniffer dogs at the gates as organisers seek to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.
Those deemed to be inebriated will be turned away as part of a raft of security measures introduced for next week’s five-day meeting, which will be attended by the Queen.
There will also be a crackdown on beer sales and an increased stewarding presence.
An ugly brawl broke out at a Saturday race meeting at the track in May, putting a spotlight on the increasing use of recreational drugs and excessive drinking at racecourses.
One of the biggest changes that racegoers will notice at the royal meeting is the absence of ‘ beer hawkers’ — staff carrying beer on their backs to sell in the crowds.
While other racecourses, including Epsom, have recently defended the presence of hawkers as a key element of customer service, a spokesman for Ascot said that they were ‘ at odds’ with the messaging about responsible drinking.
A spokesman said: ‘There is an argument the convenience of hawkers helps alleviate queues at bars and so assists in maintaining good humour.
‘However, our view is, at present, that they are culturally and visually at odds with the messaging we are trying hard to promote about responsible drinking at the races.’
Other new measures in the ‘behavioural management’ plan include an increase in the high-visibility response team to more than 100 stewards, and more specialist incident spotters.
More than 20 sniffer dogs will also patrol the Berkshire course, which is expected to attract more than 300,000 people in the week.
In an unprecedented move, the sniffer dogs will be seen near the toilets, in an effort to reduce recreational drug use.
An investigation by Sportsmail revealed the scale of the drug problem on racecourses, with positive traces of cocaine found at both York and Newbury last month.
Guy Henderson, chief executive at Ascot, said: ‘We want all our guests to feel comforted and reassured. We believe that the combination of armed police, patrol dogs and high-level security will provide this.
‘The use of illegal drugs and their contribution to anti-social behaviour is a significant issue for all major events.
‘We will continue to address these challenges with an increased specialist security team, supported by more visible stewarding around bars and other areas in order to pre-empt incidents arising from excess alcohol consumption or other anti- social behaviour. As has always been our policy anyone found entering or on the site with illegal drugs will be refused entry or expelled.’