A crackdown on booze fuelled crime has been launched after a spate of mindless vandalism in Hemel Hempstead’s town centre.
Police say there have been a series of criminal damage cases believed to have been caused by those on their way home from a night out.
As part of the clampdown officers have been working with Pubwatch, whose members are displaying a series of posters highlighting the consequences of committing this type of crime, which can include a criminal record or an £80 fine.
Det Insp Justine Jenkins said: “We’ve experienced a series of incidents where wing mirrors have been kicked off, vehicles have been scratched and windows damaged. We are confident this is being caused by people who are returning home after spending the evening in the town centre as they seem to happen in the early hours.
“These types of incidents are a nuisance and cause untold inconvenience to the victims, not to mention leaving them out of pocket.
“To combat this we have put extra patrols in place, and we are working with the drinking establishments who form part of Pubwatch to support the cause by displaying these posters. We’re also urging venues not to serve alcohol to people who are already intoxicated. We have a good working relationship with Pubwatch and we thank them for their support.
“We’re also adopting a zero tolerance approach to violence in the town centre and have some recent convictions in relation to alcohol-related assault.
“We hope this activity will help reduce incidents and helps to make the town a more pleasant place to visit.”
A court case in April saw a man sentence for assaulting four door staff at The Function Rooms.
Dean Wingrove, 23, of Turners Hill, Hemel Hempstead, had been asked to leave after being aggressive towards other customers.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of common assault and one charge of racially aggravated assault and was jailed for 34 weeks suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, must be under supervision for 12 months, pay £350 in compensation and an £80 victim surcharge.