A POLICE chief vowed today to make York Britain's safest city by 2000 after shocking new statistics revealed the extent of drunken yobbery.

Superintendent Jim Kilmartin is determined to turn a tide of violence that has seen public disorder prosecutions soar by 84 per cent, and breach of the peace prosecutions by a staggering 192 per cent.

The figures also showed that drink is a contributory factor in 77 per cent of all assaults and in notorious Micklegate more than 95 per cent of all assaults are drink-related. Supt Kilmartin told licensing magistrates today he will not tolerate the disorder, and put forward a radical and hard-line action plan.

By the turn of the century, he expects:

*Every pub to have CCTV cameras.

*All pubs to have a minimum number of doorstaff.

*Pubs to switch from breakable to toughened glass to cut down on "glassing" attacks.

He also wants a tougher line for those caught urinating in the street.

The first stage of his plan is to create a city centre task group, which will aim to ensure an achievable licensing policy to look at the number of new licenses granted, the policy for the granting of extensions for special occasions and the licensing hours for the night of the new Millennium.

Supt Kilmartin said: "Public disorder has dramatically increased despite my officers' efforts and with forward thinking licensing initiatives and extra patrols. The trade should do more with education and investment in safety and sensible drinking which must be achieved within a framework of an agreed partnership.

"My prime concerns are for my officers' safety, the citizens and residents of York and the tourists. It must be a prime objective to ensure the safe passage of people in this city."

In response chairman of the licensing bench Alf Peacock said the new figures were alarming but said they were partly down to better policing and the effects of CCTV.

He agreed that the "disgusting miscreants" who foul the street should face tougher penalties and welcomed moves to introduce a new bylaw by the city council, but was less keen on an minimum number of doorstaff for each pub saying the system already in place seems to be working well.

Click to Press man on the 'run'.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.