Calls to tackle cheap alcohol in Norwich

12.00.00am GMT Wed 13th Jan 2010

Norwich City Council and Norfolk Trading Standards have been asked to look into the measures taken by Oldham Council in tackling the supply of cheap alcohol.

Simon Wright, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South, has written to the two councils following growing concerns about alcohol in parts of the city, including the Prince of Wales Road area.

Mr Wright recently visited retailers in the Prince of Wales Road/Riverside area of Norwich and found the following:

• One supermarket is selling three litres of 5.3% cider (total 15.9 units) at £2.79, equivalent to less than 18 pence per unit.

• Other retailers are running multi-buy offers on tins and bottles of beer: 12 bottles of Becks for £7 at one; 8 tins of 500ml Fosters cans for £7 at another.

• One of the pubs in the area is advertising 99p for a pint of Greene King Ruddles (3.7%), 99p for a 275ml bottle of Carlsberg Export (5%) and 99p glasses of wine.

Mr Wright said:

"The link between alcohol and crime and disorder in parts of Norwich is unquestionable. Attacks and high profile killings in the Prince of Wales Road area are taking place while competition to supply cheap alcohol is on the increase. Many licensees have been working hard to try and address the problems, and various schemes have been tried out. But the fact remains that the competition between outlets drives prices down to lowest prices particularly with the growing influence of the supermarkets in this area.

"Two large bottles of high strength cider can be bought for just over a fiver in one of the supermarkets. That's more than enough alcohol to kill a child at a pocket-money price.

"In the absence of any legislation for minimum alcohol pricing, local authorities need to look at other ways of curbing the supply of cheap alcohol. Oldham have shown how the Licensing Act can be used to address this problem by putting strong conditions on anyone who wants to sell alcohol at cheap prices. It's a fairly blunt tool, but it has been shown to work.

"I've written to the Leader of Norwich City Council and to Norfolk Trading Standards to ask whether the experiences of Oldham can be applied in any way to help deal with the situation in Norwich."