David Cameron’s call for inebriated people to be locked up in “drunk tanks” until they sobered up was condemned by the Police Federation last night as a dangerous gimmick.

The Prime Minister used a visit to a hospital in Newcastle to promise moves to tackle the “scandal” of Britain’s drinking culture through a mixture of higher taxes, better education – and tougher police action.

His support for American-style “drunk tanks” – one-person cells housing people overnight – was his most controversial suggestion for getting tough on alcohol-fuelled trouble.

Paul McKeever, the chairman of the federation, which represents grassroots officers, said: “To recommend locking people up in so-called ‘drunk tanks’ to resolve the issue of binge drinking is dangerous. People who are very drunk can be vulnerable and often require medical attention, so locking them in a confined space is not an effective solution.”

via The Independent.