The number of British women arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour has soared over the last five years, with some regions reporting a 1,000 percent rise in offences, a report said Friday.
The problem of women drunks is particularly bad in the West Midlands, where arrests increased by 1,138 percent from 59 arrests in 2003/2004 to 731 in 2007/2008, according to police figures collected by Channel 4 NewsOffences were also on the rise in Gwent, which saw a 578 percent increase in arrests -- from 28 to 190 over the same five-year period.
Other parts of the country that witnessed a huge rise in the number of arrests, including Leicestershire (up 450 percent), Cheshire (up 135 percent), West Yorkshire (up 82 percent) and Essex (82 percent).
The figures are based on data from 38 of the 52 police constabularies, and the number of female drink-related arrests fell or stayed the same in just 15 regions.
Northumbria Police -- where arrests of drunk women rose 48 percent from 1,414 to 2,101 -- said more action is needed to tackle the problem of under age drinking and disorderly behaviour.
"That may well include rigorous action on the price of alcohol, a ban on advertising, increased education and advertising around the harm it can do, external regulation or even taking a uniquely harmful substance out of the normal retail chain," said Chief Constable Mike Craik.
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He added that drinks are still being sold too cheaply. "The trouble is that women’s bodies cannot handle these large amounts of alcohol."
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