Suspects get drink advice in cell

About 1,000 suspects have taken part in the Plymouth scheme

Alcohol support workers have been allowed to interview suspects in police cells in a bid to combat binge drinking and alcohol-related crime.

In a scheme said to be one of the first of its kind, more than 1,000 suspects in Plymouth have taken part.

The scheme aims to find out if a suspect has a drink problem and offer advice about how to get help.

The suspects are assessed in their cells - typically the morning after they have been arrested.

'Sobering up'

"At that point people are pretty open to a conversation," Ch Supt Jim Webster said.

"People are sobering up and they can see the consequences of their drinking. At any other time, the immediacy and upset has gone."

Several other police forces are considering launching their own versions of the Plymouth scheme, which has another six months to run.

Researchers monitoring the programme said it showed there was an "unmet need" in the criminal justice system for more alcohol support services.