MP Andrew Mackinlay has spoken out in support of a proposal to implement Alcohol Disorder Zones across the UK.

He wants police to be tougher on those found drunk and causing a nuisance in the streets.

In a speech to the House of Commons, Thurrock MP Mr Mackinlay said: "When I was a boy, if a person was drunk in the street, there was a degree of shame associated with it.

"Police arrested them and they were put in the slammer that night and appeared in a magistrates' court the following morning, with additional shame.

"We do not have that now for safety reasons.

"I think it is a big mistake, but the police are frightened of deaths in cells and the problems of monitoring people who are drunk."

The Alcohol Disorder Zones bill, which was proposed earlier in the year, will see licensees charged for additional police and local enforcement services in areas earmarked as disorder hotspots.

The bill comes as a product of the findings of the latest British Crime Survey, which suggests up to half of violent crimes may be alcohol related.