Pub crawl organisers come under fire

By Peter Jackson
BBC News

A judge has criticised a company which organises drink-fuelled nights out for undergraduates - one of whom faces jail for urinating on a war memorial. But what is Carnage UK and what does a night out with them entail?

Carnage UK says it has been running student events for almost five years

Students have always scored high grades when it comes to organising a drink or two, but private event firms are also getting a slice of the action.

In Brighton on Monday scores of students joined Carnage UK's fancy dress tour of bars and pubs - the latest in a series of events the company runs in 45 towns and cities.

For £10 teenagers are given a t-shirt and free entry to bars and clubs, many of which offer cheap drinks.

For some it is harmless fun, but the president of the National Union of Students, Wes Streeting, told the BBC the pub crawls put students' welfare at risk.

We have in place a number of measures to engender a safe and responsible attitude whilst attending any of our UK events Carnage UK website

He said: "It seems to me Carnage does what it says on the tin. It gets lots of students together in one place at one time to go on bar crawls which cause carnage in town centres up and down the country.

"This puts students' welfare at risk and leads to anti-social behaviour... when this happens it tends to be the students' union which gets it in the neck."

He said the object of the events seemed to be to drink as much as you could in the time allotted, and he urged local authorities to keep a tighter grip on activities.

Brighton Student Union president Naz Harrison told the BBC he was "very concerned" about the effect the events were having on people living in the town.

Carnage UK says it offers free soft drinks at all venues

Mr Harrison, who said he once helped steward a Carnage UK event in Brighton in 2006, said: "I don't believe they promote responsible drinking.

"The object is to get as drunk as possible, which has an effect on the local community, coming home at night."

Sheffield Hallam University student Philip Laing, 19, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, is a case in point.

He was photographed relieving himself on a wreath of poppies after a drinking session and has been told he could face jail.

District Judge Browne said: "Carnage is the name of the organisation who promote this type of activity and some might say that somebody should be standing alongside you this morning."

Carnage UK says it has been operating student events for almost five years and is committed to ensuring student safety.

Its website states: "At the forefront of our mindset is student safety, and how we set about ensuring that our procedures and working practices contribute to a safe and enjoyable environment.

"We have in place a number of measures to engender a safe and responsible attitude whilst attending any of our UK events."

Laing's case was adjourned to allow pre-sentence reports to be completed

It says these include the provision of free soft drinks at all venues, on-site medical services, sensible alcohol and food retailing and advice, customer awareness posters and a pro-active approach with local authorities.

But campaign group Alcohol Concern told the BBC it wants to see an end to organised, paid-for pub crawls which offer "more alcohol at lower prices".

A spokesperson said: "If you've spent £10 to go on an organised pub crawl, you want to get your money's worth, so it incentivises binge drinking... it's something students are expected to do and they [the companies] tap into this."

Drinkaware chief executive Chris Sorek added: "Pub crawls often encourage 'drinking to get drunk' but this kind of activity can result in sexual assault, having a serious accident or being a victim of crime.

"Binge drinking can also increase the chances of serious health conditions like liver damage, some cancers and depression."

Noctis, a trade body for clubs, pubs, bars and student venues, said the issue of cheap drink showed no signs of going away in the near future.

Executive director Paul Smith told the BBC: "The difficulty is these activities are popular on one level. We need to change attitudes around alcohol rather than saying to adults 'you shouldn't be doing this'."