DRUNKEN revellers who end up in Accident and Emergency should be hit with heavier fines to reflect the trouble they have caused, a councillor has claimed.

Bournemouth cabinet member David Smith said hospital A&E departments were put under extra pressure dealing with alcohol-related injuries on Friday and Saturday nights.

He believes allowing magistrates to levy fines of between £500 and £1,000 on revellers who end up in A&E or a police cell would help cover the costs of their treatment.

And he is calling on Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns to raise the issue with Home Secretary Theresa May to see if this is something that can be considered.

Cllr Smith, the Conservative councillor for the town centre, said: “These individuals are dealt with and leave with no consequences, they pay nothing for the trouble they have caused. They also cause a lot of stress and problems for the staff because of the condition they are in.

“When one considers the amount of aggravation, time and problems they have caused I find it a cause of great frustration to see them receive such derisory sentences, often fines in the region of just £50 with little or no costs added on.

“I believe it would be a universally popular decision to substantially increase the fines and costs imposed on these drunks.”

Mr Burns said heavier fines were not the solution to the huge pressure experienced by accident and emergency departments. But he agreed something needed to be done to tackle the problem of drunken revellers clogging up hospitals at the weekends.

“What I would be in favour of is a one-time warning and then if the same thing happens again, a proper fine,” he said.

“Everyone's entitled to one mistake but if it happens a second time, I think it's absolutely right that the NHS should be able to reclaim some of the costs incurred for treating people for behaviour that is entirely their own responsibility.”

A POOLE Hospital spokesperson said: “Excessive alcohol consumption is an increasing and persistent problem for emergency departments throughout the country.

“Greater education and awareness of the health risks is key to addressing the issue. Poole Hospital provides support to such patients through our alcohol care and treatment service (ACTS), which is a hospital-led multi-agency, multi-disciplinary team which includes a consultant gastroenterologist, specialist nurses, alcohol care co-ordinators and brief intervention workers.”