The Welsh don't mess around when it comes to kids. Minors in the town Bangor have effectively been banned from going out at night, in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour.
From the hours of 9pm to 6am, any child under 16 not accompanied by an adult won't be allowed in the town centre. The curfew, imposed by Gwynedd County Council and North Wales Police, comes after numerous complaints about youth drinking and harassing the public.
Kids flouting the rule will be escorted home by authorities and may result in three months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £2,500 (around $4,000).
"Many people are working very hard to improve and regenerate the city centre as well as just wanting to enjoy their daily lives without being intimidated or harassed and I have no doubt dispersal orders areas will assist in that endeavour," said Police inspector Simon Barrasford. "Drinking in public has an adverse effect not only on visitors’ perception but also on the quality of life of residents. Working closely with our partners in the local authorities I’m confident that we can have a positive impact on the area.”
The controversial ban is expected to run for at least six months, and has already been criticized by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales who warned that it would 'criminalize' children. Rather than the dispersal order, the Welsh government could do something really crazy like raise the drinking age, make alcohol so readily available local off-licences, or even ban public drinking...
Drastic or draconian?
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