FLIP-FLOPS FOR DRUNK REVELLERS IN CAMDEN TOWN

Published: 7 October, 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

FLIP-FLOPS are to be handed out to drunken revellers under a trial scheme to reduce the toll of alcohol-related injuries in Camden Town. 

Taxpayers’ cash will also be spent on lollipops, squash and biscuits for the intoxicated.

They are part of a new toolkit to be given to police officers dealing with late-night dis­order in the area, famous across the country for its nightlife and a destination every weekend for fun-seekers.

The “interventions” will be trialled by police and council community safety chiefs in the run-up to Christmas.

The Town Hall’s head of community safety Tom Preest said “Camden Departure Lounge”, as the scheme has been named, is an “innovative” step but critics say it is a “sticking plaster solution”.

It was revealed for the first time on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for Camden Council outlined details of the scheme, saying: “It [Camden Departure Lounge] can also give out flip-flops for women struggling with high heels, condoms and foil blankets when appropriate. It can give out drinks (tea, coffee, squash and water), biscuits and lollipops. These can stop people shouting, make people less aggressive and prevent post-alcohol hunger.”

The Departure Lounge also offers travel advice on bus routes and taxi companies, hands out maps and can tend to “a small number of people under the influence of alcohol until they are well enough to make their way home”. The flip-flops are not disposable and people will be encouraged to return them the next time they go for a night out.

The scheme will be in effect this weekend from 8.30pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday evenings from a marquee in Inverness Street. It is run by a private company, the Ministry of Welfare, and is jointly funded by Camden Council, Camden Police and NHS Camden. 

Speaking at Tuesday’s community police consultative group meeting in the Town Hall Mr Preest said: “We are doing this to try and reduce the number of incidents in Camden’s night-time economy. We will do everything from making interventions to get people home safely to looking at footware, giving out flip-flops to people. This will be piloted from now, over Christmas and on to the New Year.”

Camden suffers from high levels of drunken injuries – last year paramedics were called out 3,453 times to alcohol-related incidents, the second highest figure in the whole country.

Organisers say the £800 they spend on staff and £150 on flip-flops and other items each weekend will lead to savings rather than an expensive outlay, as less money will be used on responding to trouble.

Labour crime chief Councillor Abdul Hai said: “We’ve been looking at ways of reducing the chaotic behaviour that happens when so many people come into Camden Town at the weekend. The idea is to create a sort of airport lounge, to give people a place to relax and calm down before they go home.”

Simon Pitkeathley, chief executive of Camden Town Unlimited, said: “I think it’s a great idea. Drunkeness is the great lingering problem of Camden Town. 

“We have such an issue dispersing people, whether it’s the 29 bus being too full, you can’t get a cab or the Tube is finished. That creates a point of conflict. Giving people a lollipop will stop people fighting at the kebab stand. 

“There’s evidence the sugar rush actually quells people’s hunger and stops these kind of things. On the flip-flops, they are certainly less noisy. ultimately this is a good experiment – an example of good partnership work.”

Josie Kelly, who lives in Bayham Street and is chairwoman of the Camden Town Speaks Residents Association, said: “This is completely mad, a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. 

“What they should be doing is controlling the drinking in the first place, stopping people drinking all hours in Camden Town. 

“We need more enforcement and tougher licensing not people giving out bloody flip-flops. Prevention is better than cure, but this isn’t even prevention.”