COMPARED with most cities, York is a safe place to live. Friday and Saturday nights might get a bit raucous, but mostly it’s good-humoured fun; people letting off steam after a hard week’s work.

However, statistics show that Back Swinegate has become an area of concern, with 215 crimes last year, many of them drink related.

The situation is now so bad that police say enough is enough.

We can understand their frustration. A fifth of all thefts within the Bar Walls now happen there and it’s draining police resources from other parts of the city.

Which is why the force has called for a ban on new bars being allowed to open there.

Most of the offences stemmed from antisocial behaviour and the problem has worsened over the last three years.

As ever the blame lies with an idiotic minority. Binge drinking has become a malaise and even peaceful cities like York are not immune.

One solution might be to include Back Swinegate in City of York Council’s Cumulative Impact Zone. That would certainly make it more difficult for new premises to open or existing premises to have longer opening times.

But with 50 bars, pubs, restaurants and other licensed premises already operating, this could never be more than part of the answer.

For us it’s simple. We want to see people taking more responsibility for their own behaviour and bars taking more responsibility by not serving customers who have clearly had one too many.

If we are able to create a culture where alcohol-fuelled crime is not tolerated, it will not be too late for York to remain the safe city it has always been.