Emergency services across Northern Ireland have reported another busy festive season, with an alarming rise in the number of street fights and people injured.
The News Letter reports: Hospitals have also seen an increase in the number of accident and emergency patients, while ambulance staff have also been stretched during the Christmas holidays, many of which were alcohol-related.
And there are fears of more drunken fights and accidents with the forthcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations on Saturday night.
A member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board says he has no doubt that alcohol is the catalyst behind many of the brawls and violent clashes.
In one incident in Claudy, Co Londonderry three men were injured in a fight in the early hours of Boxing Day morning. Two of the men needed hospital treatment.
On the same night, another man was injured after police received reports of a fight breaking out in Ballycastle.
Police also made an appeal for information after a man was found with serious head injuries lying along a road in Omagh. It is still not clear whether he had been attacked or struck by a vehicle.
DUP MLA Robin Newton, who sits on the policing board, said he believed more work was needed to publicise the dangers of excess alcohol.
“We have seen an alarming number of incidents over Christmas, and I think it is clear that alcohol has been a major factor,” he said.
“A lot of work has been done in relation to drink driving, but we are facing a major problem with the over-consumption of alcohol, and the violence that seems to bring with it. Police are in a difficult position, they do not want to be kill-joys, but they have to step in and stop people from being harmed.”
Hospitals in Belfast have experienced a spike – albeit traditional – in the number casualties over the Christmas holidays.
In a statement the Belfast Health Trust said: “Our emergency departments are already very busy at this time of year, and people attending will be treated according to clinical need.
“Could we once again remind the public that if you are not an emergency to contact your GP or GP out- of-hours service in the first instance. Also we ask that only one relative accompany the patient to hospital to ensure that the waiting area does not become overcrowded.”
It was a similar picture in the west of the province, where A&E departments in the Altnagelvin and Erne hospitals saw increased numbers of patients
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) also confirmed that they had responded to a high number of call-outs on Boxing Night.
“The type of call ranged from the normal medical emergency and trauma calls to a significant number of calls involving assaults and others where alcohol was a factor,” said John McPoland, from the ambulance service.
“Boxing Night is traditionally extremely busy with crews sometimes hard-pressed to keep up with the sheer volume of calls. This Saturday will also be an extremely busy night as people celebrate the new year.
“NIAS has in place a number of plans to help cope with the expected increase in demand and will seek to respond to every call as quickly as possible.
“We hope that everyone will enjoy themselves and would ask that they keep themselves and friends safe by staying together and minimising the risk of assault.
“We would also ask that if an ambulance is needed that everyone co-operate with the crew to ensure that the patient gets the most effective treatment possible.”
Preliminary figures released by the PSNI last week revealed that between November 25 and December 18, 250 drivers or motorists were found to be unfit to drive, or unable, or refused, to give a sample. The figure is 28 higher than last year.