Wakefield man fined £100 for 'downing' two pints of cider in front of the police during ‘impromptu street party’

The man was part of a group of people that were drinking on Lower Warrengate in the city centre earlier this week in what police descri#bed as an ‘impromptu street party’.

They were asked to stop drinking and hand over the open bottles of alcohol for disposal but one of the men decided to quickly drink two pints of cider in front of the officers instead.

Officers can issue on-the-spot £100 fines for people who consume alcohol on the streets of Wakefield under a public spaces protection order (PSPO) which was introduced in 2017, which bans street drinking.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “On Wednesday afternoon, Officers from Wakefield North NPT approached a group of people on Lower Warrengate, close to one of the city centre hotels, who appeared to be having an impromptu street party – a bit early for the coronation, and it was cider, not champagne.

"The group were asked to stop drinking and to hand over the open drinks for disposal but one male refused to stop drinking and proceeded to quickly down two pints of cider. The male was issued with a £100 fine for breaching the PSPO.

"The PSPO is in place to protect the city and its visitors from anti-social behaviour with the aim of making the city a safer and more pleasant place to be.”

Wakefield Council is set to extend the street drinking ban in Wakefield for another three years, following feedback from businesses and the public.