Notorious drinker is jailed for six weeks (From York Press)

Notorious drinker Bradley Bell is jailed for six weeks

10:00am Friday 19th October 2012 in News By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

A NOTORIOUS York street drinker has been jailed for six weeks after admitting a series of offences including assaulting a police officer and breaching bail.

Bradley Neville Bell, 42, of no fixed address, was arrested on September 4 after assaulting a PC as she tried to deal with a shoplifter in Castlegate.

Bell was arrested again less than a month later for being drunk in Walmgate. He was released on bail with conditions not to enter the area but then breached the conditions on two occasions. When arrested, Bell abused PCSOs who were trying to detain him and he was arrested and remanded in custody.

Following the passing of a six week sentence at York Magistrates Court last week, PC Richard Gatecliffe, of Walmgate Police Team, said the community was “sick and tired of Bradley Bell’s drunken presence and that of other street drinkers in the area”.

He said: “I am very pleased with the sentence that the court has imposed on Bell and I hope this sends a clear message to those who persistently make life a misery for the community with their drunken behaviour that it will not be tolerated.

“I hope that he uses his time in prison to reflect on his behaviour and deal with his drink dependency.

“If he doesn’t address his behaviour he will have to deal with the consequences.”

Police said Bell’s conviction came thanks to an initiative called Operation Astound, set up to address drink-related antisocial behaviour and breaches of the alcohol control zone around Walmgate.

Bell has had alcohol confiscated in the area on numerous occasions and had been made aware in April this year that he was being monitored along with 19 other problematic street drinkers.

Police said he was served with a letter telling him of the surveillance along with a map clearly detailing the boundaries of the area in which drinking was restricted by law.

In addition, he was directed to alcohol support services, but police said despite this, he continued to be involved in drunken anti-social behaviour in Walmgate and had “persistently chosen to ignore the drinking restrictions”.