Police are to target eight areas in London to tackle drunken violence NEWS GROUP

POLICE are to target eight London "hotspots" in a bid to cut booze-fuelled violence at closing time.

Officers have identified trouble spots in the West End, Peckham High Street, Camden, and the town centres of Sutton, Stratford, Croydon, Kingston and Romford.

They say volatile mixes of pubs, clubs, takeaways and transport hubs are causing high levels of the "most serious violence".

Males aged from 13 to 24 are most likely to carry out the violence, which usually occurs between midnight and 3am.

Among the range of measures, unveiled today by Home Secretary Alan Johnson, is a plan for taxi and bus companies to employ "marshals" to prevent queue-jumping and other clashes.

Fast-food outlets could be required to hire security guards or limit the number of people allowed in their stores at one time.

Police will carry out more high-visibility patrols, and increase their use of search arches, wands, and the deployment of drug dogs.

And mobile first-aid sites will be set up to treat victims of violence more quickly.

Businesses will also be encouraged to be more "socially responsible" to improve the image of economically deprived areas.

"It is about saving lives and protecting communities from the awful things that sometimes happen"

Announcing the plans, Warwickshire Chief Constable Keith Bristow, who leads the Government’s Tackling Knives Action Programme, said: "It is about saving lives and protecting communities from the awful things that sometimes happen."

Figures released today by the Home Office indicate knife crime in the capital is falling. They say the number of violent knife offences involving victims aged 19 or under fell 20.9 per cent from last July to March.

It comes after the father of murdered teenage actor Rob Knox criticised the Government for failing to be tough enough over knife crime.

Colin Knox and his ex-wife Sally have called for a mandatory minimum six-month jail sentence for people caught carrying knives.