New ‘dip sample’ strips have been distributed to officers in Durham City Centre following concern street drinkers are disguising booze in soft drinks bottles.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen provided funding worth £1,655 to Durham City Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) to help officers uphold a ban on alcohol consumption in public spaces in the city centre.
The funding, which covered the cost of 500 strips, supports the PCC’s Police, Crime and Justice Plan priorities to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour (ASB) and robustly enforce street drinking with partners where data shows there is an issue. In the Commissioner’s most recent survey, 42% said tackling such problems was one of their top five priorities.
Working together with Durham County Council, the force secured a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) on 29th June 2025 which will remain active for three years. The order prohibits alcohol from being consumed publicly in a restricted area of the city.
It followed concerns raised by businesses, residents and visitors about alcohol-related ASB which was supported by data showing increased incidents reported and dealt with by the police.
Since its implementation, alcohol related incidents have reduced, aided by a higher presence of Neighbourhood Wardens which coincided with the introduction of the PSPO.
However, officers say it is becoming increasingly common for alcoholic drinks to be hidden in gym water bottles and regular soft drinks to avoid confiscation and make it more difficult to prove content.
In response, Durham NPT requested funding from the PCC to equip officers with dip sample strips to increase detection and ensure the PSPO continues to be effectively enforced. The aim is to prevent intoxicated behaviour from escalating into offending.
Already, the strips have positively identified alcohol in disguised drinks resulting in seizures.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “These strips are an essential tool in tackling street drinking in the city centre, providing vital evidence to allow the immediate seizure of alcohol within the PSPO.
“Data shows that almost a quarter of the ASB incidents reported in Durham City between July 2023 and April 2024 were alcohol related. This means one in four ASB incidents was previously driven by alcohol - and this is unacceptable.
“Tackling alcohol crime and harm remains a priority for me and I will continue to work with the force and our partners to reduce the pressure it places on our public services and the fear and anxiety it causes to businesses, residents and visitors.
“The North East has some of the worst rates of alcohol harm in the UK, with around one million people drinking at levels which raise their risk of alcohol-related illness – some of them young adults and children. We will worker harder to identify and seize opportunities to get people the help and support they need, but robust enforcement will continue to protect residents’ right to peace and safety.”
The strips have now been distributed across other hotspot areas in support of tackling alcohol-driven ASB including Consett, Chester Le Street and Sherburn.
Ends
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