Police carrying out a blitz on town centre drunks made a total of 22 arrests in Northampton in just one night.
Operation Challenge was brought in to tackle the problem of alcohol-related violence in Northampton town centre and saw 22 people arrested on Saturday night alone.
A total of 18 people were referred to DAARS (Drug and Alcohol Referral Scheme) and 20 were issued with Section 27 notices – forbidding them from returning from the area within a specified time.
Chief Inspector Andy Cox said: “I’m really pleased with the results of this so far – we’re clearly getting the message across that we are not here to stop people enjoying a night out but will deal with them robustly if they step over the line.
“Visits by officers once offenders have sobered up are also proving effective when the consequences of their behaviour are explained to them in the cold light of day.
“One such offender recently told an Operation Challenge officer: “I was an accident waiting to happen” and “I was a fool, I deserved it.” Again, we are asking people to stop and think – is it worth it?”