Nights out can often be known for getting a little bit rowdy, with some people inevitably having one drink too many and ending up on the wrong side of the law. That’s why it’s vital that anyone selling alcohol to individuals has a Personal Licence (APLH), ensuring that people sell alcohol responsibly and maintain standards that minimise alcohol-related incidents or abuse.

But which areas in the UK have the highest number of alcohol-fuelled arrests? By gathering responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, we can reveal which areas have had the highest number of drunk and disorderly arrests over the last five years.

We will also reveal which areas have seen the biggest increases and decreases in drunk and disorderly arrests, in order to determine the areas where it is becoming a bigger problem.

Nottinghamshire Police recorded the highest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2022	2022 Arrests per 100,000 people
1	Nottinghamshire Police	2,112	184.33
2	Northumbria Police	2,069	142.96
3	Lancashire Constabulary	1,822	118.94
4	Police Service of Northern Ireland	2,007	105.38
5	Norfolk Constabulary	828	90.16
6	Cumbria Constabulary	370	73.88
7	Cleveland Police	416	72.98
8	Lincolnshire Police	510	66.28
9	Police Scotland	3,444	62.85
10	South Wales Police	797	60.66

1. Nottinghamshire Police 2022 arrests per 100,000 people: 184.33

The police force recording the highest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022 is Nottinghamshire Police, with 184.33 arrests per 100,000 people. Nottinghamshire Police has over 2,300 officers and covers an area of approximately 830 square miles, including cities and towns such as Nottingham, Mansfield and Newark-on-Trent. In total, 2,112 drunk and disorderly arrests were made by Nottinghamshire Police in 2022.

2. Northumbria Police 2022 arrests per 100,000 people: 142.96

In second place is Northumbria Police, which recorded a rate of 142.96 drunk and disorderly arrests per 100,000 people back in 2022. Northumbria Police is the largest force in the North East, both by number of officers (over 3,000) and geographical area (2,141 square miles). Northumbria Police covers some major urban areas including Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Sunderland, Gateshead and both North and South Tyneside, and recorded a total of 2,069 drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022.

3. Lancashire Constabulary 2022 arrests per 100,000 people: 118.94

The police force with the third highest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022 is Lancashire Constabulary, with 118.94 arrests per 100,000 people. The Lancashire Constabulary has over 3,000 officers and covers an area of approximately 1,121 square miles, including areas such as Lancaster, Blackpool, Blackburn and Burnley. In total, 1,822 drunk and disorderly arrests were made by Lancashire Constabulary in 2022.

Staffordshire Police recorded the lowest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2022	2022 Arrests per 100,000 people
1	Staffordshire Police	47	4.14
2	Essex Police	175	9.39
3	Leicestershire Police	119	10.63
4	West Midlands Police	370	12.69
5	Cambridgeshire Constabulary	122	13.60
6	Northamptonshire police	122	15.51
7	Surrey Police	194	16.09
8	Bedfordshire Police	133	18.84
9	Hertfordshire Constabulary	235	19.57
10	Avon and Somerset Constabulary	351	20.12

1. Staffordshire Police 2022 arrests per 100,000 people: 4.14

The police force recording the lowest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022 is Staffordshire Police, with just 4.14 arrests per 100,000 people. Staffordshire Police serves over 1.1 million people, spanning an area of approximately 1,000 square miles, including several highly-populated areas such as Stoke-on-Trent, Tamworth and Burton-Upon-Trent. In total, there were just 47 drunk and disorderly arrests made by Staffordshire Police in 2022.

2. Essex Police 2022 arrests per 100,000 people: 9.39

In second place is Essex Police, which recorded a rate of just 9.39 drunk and disorderly arrests per 100,000 people in 2022. Essex Police has over 3,800 officers and covers an area of approximately 1,420 square miles, including multiple districts such as Chelmsford, Brentwood, Basildon and Colchester. In total, there were just 175 drunk and disorderly arrests made by Essex Police in 2022.

3. Leicestershire Police 2022 arrests per 100,000 people: 10.63

The police with the third lowest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022 is Leicestershire Police, with just 10.63 arrests per 100,000 people. Leicestershire Police serves over 1 million people, spanning an area of approximately 965 square miles, including Leicester, Rutland and Leicestershire. In total, there were just 119 drunk and disorderly arrests made by Leicestershire Police in 2022.

Greater Manchester Police saw the biggest increase in drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2021	D&D Arrests 2022	Annual % Increase
1	Greater Manchester Police	961	1,516	57.75%
2	Staffordshire Police	35	47	34.29%
3	Northamptonshire police	93	122	31.18%
4	Leicestershire Police	91	119	30.77%
5	Suffolk Constabulary	246	311	26.42%
6	Surrey Police	155	194	25.16%
7	Cumbria Constabulary	298	370	24.16%
8	Northumbria Police	1,738	2,069	19.04%
9	Lincolnshire Police	438	510	16.44%
10	Norfolk Constabulary	723	828	14.52%

1. Greater Manchester Police Annual Increase: 57.75%

The police force with the biggest annual increase in drunk and disorderly arrests is Greater Manchester Police, with an increase of 57.75%. Greater Manchester Police has over 6,800 officers and covers an area of approximately 492 square miles, including some major areas such as Manchester, Bury, Salford and Bolton. In total, there were 1,516 drunk and disorderly arrests made by Greater Manchester Police in 2022, compared to 961 arrests in 2021.

2. Staffordshire Police Annual Increase: 34.29%

In second place is Staffordshire Police, which saw a 34.29% increase in drunk and disorderly arrests last year. In 2021, Staffordshire Police was required to make 35 arrests due to alcohol-related incidents within the areas that they cover and by 2022, this figure had increased to 47.

3. Northamptonshire Police Annual Increase: 31.18%

The police force with the third biggest annual increase in drunk and disorderly arrests is Northamptonshire Police, with an increase of 31.18%. Northamptonshire Police serves a population of approximately 710,000 people and covers an area of around 914 square miles, including towns such as Brackley, Kettering, Northampton and Rothwell. In 2021, 93 drunk and disorderly arrests were made by Northamptonshire Police and by 2022, this figure had increased to 122.

West Mercia Police recorded the biggest decrease in drunk and disorderly arrests in 2022

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2021	D&D Arrests 2022	Annual % Decrease
1	West Mercia Police	2,632	473	-82.03%
2	Hertfordshire Constabulary	468	235	-49.79%
3	Dyfed Powys Police	154	107	-30.52%
4	Kent Police	566	415	-26.68%
5	Police Scotland	4,234	3,444	-18.66%
6	North Yorkshire Police	426	373	-12.44%
7	Avon and Somerset Constabulary	380	351	-7.63%
8	Sussex Police	557	517	-7.18%
9	Durham Constabulary	385	358	-7.01%
10	Greater London (Metropolitan Police and City of London)	2,673	2,526	-5.50%

1. West Mercia Police Annual Decrease: 82.03%

The police force with the biggest annual decrease in drunk and disorderly arrests is West Mercia Police, with a decrease of 82.03%. West Mercia Police has over 2,300 officers and covers an area of approximately 2,868 square miles, including the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. In 2021, 2,632 arrests were made by West Mercia Police for alcohol-related incidents and by 2022, this figure had decreased significantly to 473.

2. Hertfordshire Constabulary Annual Decrease: 49.79%

In second place is Hertfordshire Constabulary, which saw an annual decrease of 49.79% in drunk and disorderly arrests between 2021 and 2022. Hertfordshire Constabulary has over 1,900 officers and covers an area of approximately 634 square miles, including areas such as Watford, St Albans, Hertsmere and Stevenage.  In 2021, Hertfordshire Constabulary made 468 arrests for drunk and disorderly offences and by 2022, this figure had decreased to 235.

3. Dyfed Powys Police Annual Decrease: 30.52%

The police force with the third biggest annual decrease in drunk and disorderly arrests is Dyfed Powys Police, with a decrease of 30.52%. Dyfed Powys Police has over 1,100 officers and covers an area of approximately 4,223 square miles, including the six counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Brecknockshire, Radnoshire and Montgomeryshire. In 2021, 154 arrests were made by Dyfed Powys Police for alcohol-related incidents and by 2022, this figure had decreased to 107.

West Mercia Police has recorded the most drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018

Rank	Police Force	Total Arrests 2018-2022	Total Arrests 2018-2022 per 100,000 people
1	West Mercia Police	13,986	1073.29
2	Nottinghamshire Police	9,293	811.05
3	Northumbria Police	10,044	693.98
4	Police Service of Northern Ireland	11,143	585.07
5	Lancashire Constabulary	8,541	557.54
6	Police Scotland	23,362	426.32
7	Norfolk Constabulary	3,825	416.49
8	Cleveland Police	2,016	353.68
9	Cumbria Constabulary	1,738	347.04
10	Durham Constabulary	2,033	322.90

1. West Mercia Police Arrests since 2018, per 100,000 people: 1,073.29

The police force that has the highest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018 is West Mercia Police, with 1,073.29 arrests per 100,000 people. Between the years of 2018 and 2022, West Mercia Police recorded almost 14,000 arrests due to alcohol-related incidents. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2018 when 3,992 people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

2. Nottinghamshire Police Arrests since 2018, per 100,000 people: 811.05

In second place is Nottinghamshire Police, with a rate of 811.05 drunk and disorderly arrests per 100,000 people, since 2018. Between the years of 2018 and 2022, Nottinghamshire Police arrested almost 9,300 people for being drunk and disorderly. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2022 when 2,112 alcohol-related incidents were recorded.

3. Northumbria Police Arrests since 2018, per 100,000 people: 693.98

The police force with the third highest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018 is Northumbria Police, with 693.98 arrests per 100,000 people. Between the years of 2018 and 2022, Northumbria Police recorded over 10,000 arrests due to alcohol-related incidents. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2018 when 2,267 people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Staffordshire Police recorded the fewest drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018

Rank	Police Force	Total Arrests 2018-2022	Total Arrests 2018-2022 per 100,000 people
1	Staffordshire Police	335	29.49
2	Leicestershire Police	542	48.39
3	Essex Police	1,050	56.37
4	Cambridgeshire Constabulary	620	69.13
5	Northamptonshire police	584	74.22
6	Surrey Police	1,021	84.69
7	West Midlands Police	2,969	101.81
8	Avon and Somerset Constabulary	1,809	103.68
9	Bedfordshire Police	769	108.91
10	Hertfordshire Constabulary	1,650	137.43

1. Staffordshire Police Arrests since 2018, per 100,000 people: 29.49

The police force that has the lowest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018 is Staffordshire Police, with just 29.49 arrests per 100,000 people. Between the years of 2018 and 2022, Staffordshire Police arrested 335 people for being drunk and disorderly. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2018 when 114 alcohol-related incidents were recorded.

2. Leicestershire Police Arrests since 2018, per 100,000 people: 48.39

In second place is Leicestershire Police, with a rate of just 48.39 drunk and disorderly arrests per 100,000 people, since 2018. Between the years of 2018 and 2022, Leicestershire Police recorded 542 arrests due to alcohol-related incidents. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2018 when 132 people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

3. Essex Police Arrests since 2018, per 100,000 people: 56.37

The police force with the third lowest rate of drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018 is Essex Police, with just 56.37 arrests per 100,000 people. Between the years of 2018 and 2022, Essex Police arrested 1,050 people for being drunk and disorderly. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2018 when 282 alcohol-related incidents were recorded.

Greater Manchester Police recorded a huge 4-year increase in drunk and disorderly arrests

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2018	D&D Arrests 2022	4 Year % Increase
1	Greater Manchester Police	126	1,516	1103.17%
2	Lancashire Constabulary	1,605	1,822	13.52%
3	Nottinghamshire Police	1,861	2,112	13.49%
4	Suffolk Constabulary	278	311	11.87%
5	Lincolnshire Police	458	510	11.35%
6	Cambridgeshire Constabulary	110	122	10.91%
7	West Yorkshire Police	1,078	1,187	10.11%
8	Gwent Police	265	282	6.42%
9	South Wales Police	772	797	3.24%
10	Norfolk Constabulary	811	828	2.10%

1. Greater Manchester Police 4-year increase: 1,103.17%

The police force with the biggest four-year increase in drunk and disorderly arrests is Greater Manchester Police, with a huge increase of 1,103.17%. In 2018, Greater Manchester Police was only required to make 126 arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct. However, by 2022, this figure had increased massively to 1,516 arrests.

2. Lancashire Constabulary 4-year increase: 13.52%

In second place is Lancashire Constabulary, which has seen a 13.52% increase in arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct over the last four years. Back in 2018, the Lancashire Constabulary police force recorded 1,605 alcohol-fuelled arrests and by 2022, this figure had increased to 1,822.

3. Nottinghamshire Police 4-year increase: 13.49%

Following closely behind is Nottinghamshire Police, who have seen a 13.49% increase in drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018. In 2022, 2,112 arrests were made by Nottinghamshire Police for alcohol-related incidents. This is compared to 1,861 arrests back in 2018.

The biggest 4-year decrease in drunk and disorderly arrests was recorded by West Mercia Police

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2018	D&D Arrests 2022	4 Year % Decrease
1	West Mercia Police	3,992	473	-88.15%
2	Staffordshire Police	114	47	-58.77%
3	West Midlands Police	861	370	-57.03%
4	Kent Police	716	415	-42.04%
5	Police Scotland	5,864	3,444	-41.27%
6	Dyfed Powys Police	175	107	-38.86%
7	Essex Police	282	175	-37.94%
8	North Yorkshire Police	589	373	-36.67%
9	Dorset Police	487	318	-34.70%
10	Northamptonshire police	170	122	-28.24%

1. West Mercia Police 4-year decrease: 88.15%

The police force with the biggest four-year decrease in drunk and disorderly arrests is West Mercia Police, with a decrease of 88.15%. In 2018, West Mercia Police made almost 4,000 arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct. However, by 2022, this figure had fallen massively to just 473 arrests.

2. Staffordshire Police 4-year decrease: 58.77%

In second place is Staffordshire Police, who have seen a decrease of 58.77% in the number of drunk and disorderly arrests that they are having to make. Back in 2018, 114 arrests were made by Staffordshire Police for alcohol-related incidents and by 2022, this figure had dropped to just 47 arrests.

3. West Midlands Police 4-year decrease: 57.03%

Following closely behind is the West Midlands Police, who have seen a 57.03% decrease in drunk and disorderly arrests since 2018. West Midlands Police has over 6,800 officers and covers an area of approximately 348 square miles, including major areas such as Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and Wolverhampton. Back in 2018, the West Midlands police force was required to make 861 arrests due to drunk and disorderly conduct. By 2022, this figure had decreased to 370 arrests.

Drunk and disorderly arrests plunged during covid, with Staffordshire Police seeing the biggest decrease

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2019	D&D Arrests 2020	2019 to 2020 % Decrease
1	Staffordshire Police	104	35	-66.35%
2	Leicestershire Police	131	69	-47.33%
3	West Midlands Police	886	484	-45.37%
4	Bedfordshire Police	216	127	-41.20%
5	Norfolk Constabulary	908	555	-38.88%
6	Gloucestershire Constabulary	251	156	-37.85%
7	Essex Police	255	161	-36.86%
8	Dorset Police	433	278	-35.80%
9	Northamptonshire police	121	78	-35.54%
10	Cumbria Constabulary	386	254	-34.20%

1. Staffordshire Police: Covid decrease: 66.35%

The police force that saw the biggest drop in drunk and disorderly arrests during covid was Staffordshire Police. Back in 2019, before covid first arrived in the UK, Staffordshire Police recorded 104 alcohol-related arrests. Throughout 2020, when covid was at its peak in the UK, the number of drunk and disorderly arrests made by Staffordshire Police dropped to just 35, showing a decrease of 66.35%.

Outlier Hertfordshire Police saw a large increase in drunk and disorderly arrests during the pandemic

Rank	Police Force	D&D Arrests 2019	D&D Arrests 2020	2019 to 2020 % Change (Effect of Covid)
1	Hertfordshire Constabulary	245	448	82.86%
2	Police Scotland	4,558	5,262	15.45%
3	Gwent Police	302	317	4.97%
4	Kent Police	667	672	0.75%

1. Hertfordshire Constabulary Covid increase: 82.86%

On the other hand, some areas of the UK actually saw an increase in the number of drunk and disorderly arrests being made, with the highest increase being recorded by Hertfordshire Constabulary. In 2019, before the first covid cases were recorded in the UK, the Hertfordshire Constabulary made 245 arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct. Throughout the peak of covid, in 2020, this figure rose to 448 arrests, showing an increase of 82.86%.

Drunk and disorderly arrests on the UK public transport network

Year	D&D Arrests
2022	845
2021	837
2020	893
2019	1,296
2018	1,377

Period	Initial D&D Arrests	Subsequent D&D Arrests	% Change
Annual Change (2021 to 2022)	837	845	0.96%
4 Year Change (2018 to 2022)	1,377	845	-38.63%
Covid Impact (2019 to 2020)	1,296	893	-31.10%

Throughout the UK, there are also plenty of drunk and disorderly arrests made on public transport each year. In total, the British Transport Police made over 5,200 arrests on public transport for alcohol-related incidents, between the years of 2018 to 2022. Back in 2018, 1,377 drunk and disorderly arrests were made on public transport and by 2022, this figure had dropped to 845, showing a four-year decrease of 38.63%.

Despite the number of arrests being made due to drunk and disorderly conduct on public transport dropping between the years 2018 and 2022, the number of arrests of this nature actually increased over the last year. Back in 2021, the British Transport Police made 837 alcohol-related arrests on the UK public transport network and by 2022, this figure had risen by 0.96% to 845.

As expected, covid did have a considerable impact on the total number of drunk and disorderly arrests being made on public transport. Back in 2019, 1,296 arrests were made by police forces around the UK and by the time covid made its way over here in 2020, this figure dropped to 893, showing a decrease of 31.10%. This is most likely due to the fact that people were asked not to travel on public transport unless their journey was absolutely necessary.

Methodology

We wanted to find out which UK have the highest rate of alcohol-related arrests. To do this, we sent a series of Freedom of Information requests to UK police forces asking for the number of drunk and disorderly arrests made each year from 2018 to 2022.

The data we received was used to show the police force areas with the most and fewest drunk and disorderly crimes per 100,000 people, using population data from the ONS. This rate was calculated both for 2022 and for the combined period of 2018 to 2022. We also calculated the annual % changes and 4-year % changes in drunk and disorderly arrests in each location, revealing the areas with the biggest increases and decreases for each period.

We also calculated the change in drunk and disorderly arrests from 2019 to 2020, giving us insight into the effects that the Covid pandemic and lockdown restrictions had on these offences. Additionally, we used data from the British Transport Police to provide insight into drunk and disorderly arrests on the UK public transport network.

We received data for all but four UK police forces, with Merseyside, Humberside, Warwickshire and Devon & Cornwall police being the exceptions at the time of writing. As Scotland and Northern Ireland have slightly different legislation around drunk and disorderly crime, we used data for the most directly comparable offences in each area.

Data from the City of London Police was merged with data from the Metropolitan Police Service to provide a single figure for Greater London.