BOOZE-FUELLED women have helped to push drink-related disorder to record levels on York's streets.

A senior policeman blamed "designer drinks" with a high alcohol content for the upsurge.

The "worrying increase" emerged as police chiefs confirmed 2003 had been an unprecedented year for public order offences in the city.

Magistrates also dealt with more than 100 juveniles - some as young as 15 - while nearly half of shops tested sold drink to under-18s.

The police officer who revealed the disturbing picture, Superintendent Tim Madgwick, said reducing public disorder "remains a challenge" - and warned that it was essential that crime-fighting groups tackled the problem so York's reputation as a popular tourist destination was not affected.

A total of 838 people were prosecuted for public order offences, with 476 of these being drink-related. Of these, 22 per cent were female.

Referring to the 102 juveniles prosecuted for drink-related offences, Supt Madgwick said: "This is a very disappointing figure which has risen dramatically since 2002, highlighting the need for licensees and their staff to remain vigilant. They cannot afford to be complacent."

On women, he said: "Many female drinkers have turned to designer drinks such as alco-pops, which have a high alcohol content and are often consumed like soft drinks, leading to overindulgence with unexpected, but often severe, consequences."

He added that some motorists had ignored the tough message of a public awareness campaign about drink-driving. He said the statistics were "completely unacceptable" and pledged to crack down on drink-drivers.

Test purchasing by trading standards officers, which found that 13 out of 34 outlets would sell to under-18s, led to five businesses being prosecuted for underage sales and eight being issued with formal cautions.

The Brewster Sessions report outlined the steps police officers, licensees, door staff and magistrates have taken over the past year to control alcohol-related issues over the past year.

It noted that York is still attracting inquiries from pub companies and developers who want to further expand the city's entertainment industry, especially in the run up to Royal Ascot in 2005.

Door supervisors continued to play an important role in the city at night, with 110 arrests for drug possession during 2003, compared with 188 arrests the previous year.

It also revealed that there had been "no significant issues" in any licensed premises in York in the past year.

Penny Curry, chair of the licensing justices, said: "The committee is disturbed to hear of the dramatic increase in the number of women and under-18s prosecuted for public order offences whilst in drink.

"We see in our courts every day the individuals behind the statistics - the perpetrators and sometimes their victims.

"This committee has year after year highlighted our concerns with regard to under-age drinking and the link between violent crime and young persons who have consumed alcohol."

Updated: 10:32 Friday, February 06, 2004