A police chief has called for a complete ban on discounted drinks, happy hours and alcohol advertising as figures reveal that the number of women arrested for being drunk and disorderly has risen dramatically in the past five years.

There were 5,891 women detained for the offence last year compared with 3,847 in 2003-04. The numbers were obtained by Channel 4 News Online, which asked all police forces for details of women arrested. Of those, 21 forces reported an increase over the period, giving an overall 53 per cent rise, while 15 forces reported no change or a decline in arrests.

The figures for 2007-08 only covered 11 months of the year, and so are likely to be even higher.

Mike Craik, the Chief Constable of Northumbria, where arrests of drunken women rose from 1,414 to 2,101, said: “Clearly, more still needs to be done, particularly about under-age drinking. That may well include rigorous action on the price of alcohol and a ban on advertising. There should also be an end to two-for-one deals, happy hours and supermarkets selling alcohol at below cost prices. There should be a ban on alcopops.”

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