Bars facing action over cheap drinks; Owners blamed for encouraging boozy louts.

Byline: By LIZ WALKER and SONIA SHARMA

CUT price booze bars could be held responsible for their drunken customers.

Both police and medics have expressed concerns at the pounds 1 a drink, and two-for-one venues which encourage binge-drinking.

And as a leading liver specialist in Newcastle reveals teens are being diagnosed with cirrhosis, a condition usually associated with chronic alcoholism, police warn bar owners they face repercussions if they are found to have encouraged drunken law-breaking.

Dr Chris Record, liver expert at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital today said: "I am against anything that encourages people to drink more and these offers do just that.

"I want to see these kind of offers banned and a minimum price placed on every unit by the Government."

Happy hour bar deals such as "Everything a Quid" and "buy one get one free" are being blamed.

A tour of the bars in Whitley Bay reveals some are selling drinks for as little as pounds 1.

A large banner on South Parade informs revellers 'Everything's A Quid' at Jimmyz Bar and Deep every Thursday.

Aruba has a banner with the words 'Now That's What I Call pounds 1 Drinks', offering all drinks for a pound on Fridays and Saturdays until 10.30pm.

Nearby bars Envy and The Hairy Lemon have a promotion on all pints, bottles and spirits, excluding mixers, for pounds 1.95 on Thursday nights, and shots of Sambuca, Tequila and Corkys for pounds 1.

Dr Record said: "It takes around 10 years of consumption for alcohol cirrhosis to take its full effect. But the more you drink the quicker this happens.

"It used to be that you'd only see this disease in those over 40, but now we're seeing people in their 20s dying from the effects of alcohol because, as teenagers, they drank to excess."

Northumbria Police Chief Constable Mike Craik has urged the Government to outlaw cheap alcohol to help curb binge drinking.

He said he wanted an end to cut-price offers.

Insp Tony Blacklock, of Whitley Bay police, said while violent crime in the South Parade area had dropped, bars would be held responsible if the cheap drinks resulted in disorder.

He said: "There are a number of licensed premises in South Parade which have what I would consider inappropriate promotions, in that they appear to be selling alcoholic drinks at cheap prices.

"They are in competition with each other and are trying to run a business. However, they have got to take the consequences of selling cheap drink."

The Chronicle was unable to contact anyone at Premium Bars and Restaurants, formerly Ultimate Leisure, which runs Jimmyz and Deep, nor the owners of Aruba. We contacted the Ladhar Group, which owns Envy and the Hairy Lemon, but were unable to get a comment.

BBPA, which represents more than 50% of the UK's bar and pub trade, said it brought in industry standards in 2005 with the aim of stamping out such promotions.

Mark Hastings, BBPA director of communications, said: "We aim to ensure all pubs operate to these standards of corporate and community social responsibilit y." The Federation of Licensed Victuallers chief executive Tony Payne said: "We don't recommend cut-price special offers because we think it is bad for the trade and puts a lot of pressure on staff."

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SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM: Chief Constable Mike Craik, right says cheap deals like these lead to trouble on the streets