'Zero tolerance' judge pledges to lock up drink-fuelled offenders after just ONE offence

Young men and women caught up in alcohol-related violence should expect prison sentences, a senior judge warned yesterday.

Judge Graham Cottle said that even those who have never been in trouble before will go to jail if they are found guilty of violent disorder in his court.

He believes a 'zero-tolerance' policy is necessary to make town centres safe.

He blamed cheap alcohol and social problems for binge drinking and pointed to the increasing number of young women involved in heavy drinking and violent attacks.

He also singled out Labour's 24-hour drinking rules.

Licensing laws, he said, had been 'relaxed to the point where there aren't any'.

The tough line from the senior judge based at Exeter Crown Court appears to reflect growing concern among the judiciary, who hear cases of drunken disorder and street violence every day.

Judge Cottle told a local newspaper that drunken violence could ruin lives.

'I realised this was escalating into a serious problem, affecting the lives of ordinary people because they were scared by the prospect of what they would witness if they went for a civilised night out,' he said.

We have to do something to redress the balance. Rightly or wrongly, I have adopted an approach which is as near to zerotolerance as is consistent with my duty to take into account everything that can be said on behalf of the defendant.

'In practically every case, that will only affect the length of the sentence-imposed.'

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Sentencing rules on assaults allow judges and magistrates to hand out prison terms in cases of common assault  -  which causes no injuries  -  or actual bodily harm, provided there are aggravating factors.

These can include drunkenness and acting in a gang.

Judge Cottle, 61, has presided over West Country crown courts for 15 years.

His remarks brought calls for a tightening of licensing laws from the Conservative party.

Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve said: ' These comments are a shocking indictment of ten years of Labour failure. Sadly, Labour have run out of ideas which makes them part of the problem.

' We need more police on the streets, free from red tape. We also need to tackle irresponsible retailers who fuel this problem by selling to both drunk and underage customers.'