Uniformed police officers and detectives were joined by representatives from the Council’s Public Health Team and the Inspire Partnership to coincide with the start of the tournament on Friday, 10 June. They handed out hundreds of information packs about drinking responsibly and how to get help if you become a victim of domestic abuse.
Sutton has extra officers on duty in Sutton Town Centre throughout the month-long televised championships in France as well as an additional team of officers on mobile patrols around the borough to provide additional emergency response to any criminal or anti-social behaviour.
Police have been out and about briefing door staff at pubs and clubs requiring staff to refuse sales to customers who they believe may become intoxicated if served with further alcohol and to inform nearby premises if they refuse entry or eject a customer for poor behaviour.
A major drink awareness campaign is being run during the tournament which focuses on: ‘Drink alcohol sensibly or face our penalties’ and ‘Bring football home, not violence’. Offenders face being prosecuted in the Courts and banned by licensed premises as part of the ‘Behave or Be Banned’ scheme, which is run by the PubWatch groups in the borough.
Victims of violence can get help for themselves and their children at Sutton’s One-Stop Shop, a free drop-in service on Wednesdays between 9.30 and 11.30am at Sutton Baptist Church, 21 Cheam Road, Sutton, where advice and guidance is available from a specially trained police officer, a solicitor and Independent Domestic Violence Advisor from Victim Support. For information about the service, which has helped more than 1,000 victims since it launched five years ago, contact 020 7801 1777.
If you are worried about how much you or a love one drink, please contact the Inspire Partnership on: 020 8773 9393 or email [email protected]