The beermats, part of a police initiative to tackle alcohol-related crime in the area, will be distributed to pubs across the South Ribble district of the county. They highlight alcohol-related problems such as drink driving, the risk to personal safety and violent crime.
In the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC) funded-project, undergraduates from Runshaw College in Leyland were invited to come up with their best designs. Student Aaron Richardson’s ‘you booze up, you square up, you get locked up’ was chosen winner.
The 5,000 beermats produced will feature Richardson’s design as well as designs by three other students.
The initiative was the brainchild of Sargent Charlie Cox, from the South Ribble neighbourhood policing team. He said: “We do not have a significant problem with alcohol-related crime in South Ribble, but this is part of a proactive, preventative approach to tackling it.”
Sgt Cox, who happens to be the son of Budvar UK public relations controller Denis Cox, added: “We want to raise awareness of the consequences of consuming too much alcohol. We are not saying that people should not drink, but that they should be aware of how much they are drinking and make sure they stay safe.”