No more drinking in public on London’s Underground

An alcohol ban on London’s transport network sparked a party on the Tube that got out of hand.

A ban on alcohol on London’s transport system came into force on Sunday, 1 June, designed to make buses, Tubes and trains safer for the public. The ban was a key manifesto pledge of the new mayor Boris Johnson’s election campaign to curb antisocial behaviour. Just days after his victory over Ken Livingstone the new mayor announced plans to enact the measure.

On the night before the first day of the ban, people opposed to it marked their last night of legal drinking by throwing a party that left a trail of broken glass, 17 arrests and six closed stations, it was reported.

Mr Johnson’s approach is not new in the UK. Police officers and community support officers have the power to confiscate alcohol being consumed in a public place. Coventry was one of the first UK cities to introduce public alcohol-free zones in 1987, to meet concerns about crime and disorder.

In the past, supporters of such crackdowns have pointed to binge drinking and alcohol-fuelled outbursts of bad behaviour to justify restrictions.

The scenes from the Tube on Saturday may have strengthened their belief, coming a few weeks after clashes between Rangers football fans and police in Manchester. Fans had been drinking in the city centre.