Violence down amid pub law change
Violent crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales
fell by 11% at the end of last year, despite longer pub opening hours coming in, figures show.
The Home Office figures for the last three months of 2005 include a six-week period when the police were given £2.5m to target alcohol-related crime.
The figures are the first since licensing laws were changed in November to allow extended drinking hours.
Police have said it will take longer to assess the full impact of the changes.
Half of all violent crime is linked to excessive drinking and the government had been waiting to see how the figures would be affected by longer opening hours for pubs and clubs.
Under-age drinking
Home Secretary Charles Clarke said the figures represented a step forward in removing "unacceptable" behaviour from Britain's streets.
In a statement, he said progress had been made on cutting sales of alcohol to under-18s and it was the government's intention to eliminate the problem altogether.
Mr Clarke said police work would continue to drive home the message that the "drunken behaviour of the minority" would not be allowed to "impact the lives of the decent majority of people who enjoy a sensible drink with family and friends".
(
BBC)