MP and Residents Share Growing Concerns over St Albans Booze Culture

With the news of the serious head injury sustained by a young man, just before 2:30am on Christmas Eve, it is surely time that the growing concerns of local residents, over the culture of booze that seems to be taking over St Albans, are taken seriously.

Anne Main offered an invitation to Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on the 25th October 2005 to visit constituents who were concerned about the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. Unfortunately, some two months later a reply was received stating that both her and other Minister's 'diaries are very busy so we will not be able to take up the invitation.'

Anne commented, "There are many people in St Albans who wanted to hear, first hand, the Government's reasoning behind this Act - as well as receive assurances that it will not prove detrimental to them, their families or property. Unfortunately, nobody from the Government would visit St Albans - despite it having more licensed premises per capita than anywhere else in Europe."

"With the news of the serious head injury sustained by a young man, just before 2:30am on Christmas Eve, it is surely time that the growing concerns of local residents, over the culture of booze that seems to be taking over St Albans, are taken seriously."

Sharing many of these concerns Anne has highlighted them in a Parliamentary article written to her colleagues, describing the evening that she spent on patrol with the police in St Albans: an experience which she is set to make again later this month.

Within the article Anne writes, "Alcohol, that social lubricant, is very evident in and around St Albans' clubs and bars...later it will be the catalyst for rowdy singing, drink fuelled arguments and exhibitionist behaviour that tests boundaries.""