Drinkers support police crackdown

REVELLERS have welcomed the weekend's police blitz on town centre drunks, drug users and brawlers.

Nine people were arrested in Newcastle and Leek over the course of Friday night and Saturday morning as dozens of officers took part in a dual operation.

Police carried out almost 50 stop-searches, issued three fixed penalty notices and handed out seven Section 27 dispersal orders as they looked to reclaim the night-time streets for people who want to socialise responsibly.

And, as described in Saturday's Sentinel, drugs dogs were used to sniff out people trying to get drugs into town centre pubs and clubs.

Matt Worthington, manager of the Arnold Machin pub in Newcastle, praised the operation.

The 30-year-old, from Hanley, said: "I think it was great. It was a deterrent.

"In my experience it is easier to work in Newcastle than Hanley – I have seen more trouble there. But I think what the police have done in Newcastle will help and it will be a deterrent in future as well."

Bouncer Paul Walker, aged 28, of Chell, agreed, adding: "It was good to see a lot of police out, I think it is a deterrent."

But colleague Rob Hamilton, aged 30, of Birches Head, said: "I think police can put people off going out when there's a lot of them, which affects our hours. Some people will go out later to try to avoid them."

Dee Carter, aged 50, and Sharon Price, aged 44, both from Newcastle, enjoyed a night out together in the town centre during the operation.

Dee said: "Having worked for many years in the prison service I have seen the damage that drugs can do.

"I think it will be a deterrent to stop people taking drugs in the town."

Sharon added: "There's always a good police presence in Newcastle and it makes us feel safe. For two girls out alone, that is important."

Taxi driver Paul Jones, aged 53, of May Bank, said: "It's always good to see a lot of police out in Newcastle.

"As a taxi driver I see people at the end of the night and you do get people drunk and acting aggressively. Knowing there are police out is reassuring."

Neil Regan, from Cliff Vale, was the first reveller to be searched by police in Newcastle, after drugs dog Ben took an interest in him as he tried to enter the Arnold Machin.

The 43-year-old said: "The dog sniffed me a bit, so the police took me to one side and searched me. It was embarrassing.

"They didn't find anything on me. The officer was saying I might have stood next to someone who was smoking a joint.

"But despite that I think it's a good thing what the police are doing."

Sergeant Kelly Wareing, from Newcastle Police, said: "We were able to prevent any incidents of disorder but, with the help of a keen passive drugs dog and handler, we were also able to stop 21 people and search them under The Misuse of Drugs Act following positive indications from the dog.

"We also went into a few pubs early doors to search for drugs. This worked well as various drug seizures were made."