Islington, the Late Night Levy and a Christmas 'crackdown'?
2014
It is being reported in the local press that using funding raised by the Late Night Levy adopted by Islington Council, a ‘private army of security guards' will be on the streets to assist in keeping order over the festive period.
From this weekend, the uniformed team will be out and about in areas with an apparent reputation for alcohol-fuelled violence. Examples given are Upper Street, Farringdon and Highbury Corner.
Cllr Paul Convery, Islington Council's executive member for community safety, is reported as saying: "We thought this was a good time to put it in place. The proof will be in the pudding. We wanted to get cracking over the tough Christmas people when a lot of people are out. People that fall over drunk will, for the first time, have men and women in uniform there to pick them up and sort them out. Police on a 999 call would police wouldn't have time to do that. And people who are drunk and causing trouble will be dealt with".
It is also reported that Islington has some 1,300 licenced premises, nearly a third of which are licensed after midnight and as such affected by the Levy.