ANYONE venturing into York city centre on a Friday or Saturday night will know that drunken and rowdy behaviour can be a problem.

The antics of the comparatively few people who do lose control can spoil an evening out for everyone else.

Just telling people that getting out of their heads on drink is upsetting for others – not to mention bad for their health – rarely seems to have much impact.

Until now, the only real option has been for police to arrest drunks who are causing trouble, meaning they face a real risk of ending up with a criminal record.

Now, however, a new scheme set to begin soon in York offers a refreshingly different approach. Instead of being charged, these arrested on a night out will be offered the chance to go on a one-day alcohol awareness course.

It is an approach similar to that used with some speeding drivers, where instead of being fined and given points, they are offered the chance to go on a speed awareness course.

The alcohol awareness courses will aim to encourage people not only to think about how much they drink, but also about how it makes them behave – and what other people think of them.

In Gloucestershire, such courses are said to have cut the number of drinkers committing repeat alcohol-related offences by as much as 50 per cent.

Let’s hope they prove as effective here.