TWO men stabbed outside a nightclub, another badly beaten in the city centre and a third knifed outside a city pub and left paralysed from the waist down. Even in Glasgow that would be a rough tally for a weekend but in Edinburgh it represents a frightening escalation in city centre violence.
Last weekend turned into the bloodiest so far this year on the streets of the Capital. Of course it's no coincidence that all the trouble revolved around pubs and clubs. Alcohol has always been the tonic that turns the mild mannered into raging bulls
but the problem for us is that it's never been more easily available on the streets of Edinburgh. One hundred per cent proof is available on a visit to George Street and the West and East End on a Friday or Saturday night.
In five years, these areas have been transformed from popular places to socialise into something much wilder and less attractive. As the evening progresses, the tension grows, leading to flashpoints and the kind of violence witnessed last weekend. Clearly this isn't acceptable. None of us wants to live in a city where three stabbings represents just an average Friday and Saturday on the town.
But drink-fuelled violence also needs to be addressed to safeguard what makes this city tick. We're unlikely to hold on to our status as Britain's second favourite visitor destination if we get a reputation for the fights as well as the sights. Since licensing is a local authority matter, we must look to our civic leaders to safeguard our beautiful city.
Displaying the kind of clear thinking that has made the Liberal Democrats the force they are in modern politics, the licensing board has proposed the best response is a consultation on cutting back drinking hours and limiting the number of people who can stand in a pub. Most people might think that council busybodies going around telling people to sit down in pubs will only cause trouble rather than discourage it - but what do we know?
Maybe the council has a trick up its sleeve. Rather than recruiting even more staff to join the swollen ranks of Edinburgh City Council, perhaps they will rely on existing enforcers. Maybe the environmental wardens who already visit pubs to regulate the smoking ban will take on additional duties. Or they might give overall responsibility to the parking enforcers who could wander into bars and slap tickets on anyone not properly seated, unless, of course, they are loading up at the bar. It sounds like a joke but, in reality, the powers that be are deadly serious.
Following the start of their consultation process, the licensing chairwoman, Councillor Marjorie Thomas, said: "We have already had a big response, both from publicans and the licensed trade, but also from people in local communities across the city."
I'm sure they have, and I suspect most of what was said in response is unprintable in a newspaper.
Of course it's right for the council to be looking at the problem of antisocial behaviour linked to licensing, but making drinkers sit down and then turfing them out at midnight is no solution to the problem. Some of the worst violence around takes place in towns and cities where all pubs and clubs empty out at the same time. The flashpoints are simply transferred from the bar and dance floor to the kebab shop and taxi queue.
As a modern European city, we should be able to deliver liberal drinking hours, allowing visitors and locals to have a good time without constantly watching the clock. The real problem is the way licences have been handed out in recent years in the rush to make Edinburgh the party city of choice for every stag and hen night.
Ten years ago, George Street had just a couple of bars. Now it boasts more than a dozen clubs and pubs, all of them packed at weekends. It is the concentration of drinking establishments in close proximity that is behind much of the trouble. From now on, the council needs to be much more aware of the consequences of granting a licence and much less willing to turn every empty shop and shut bank into yet another overflowing party venue at weekends.
Add in more education in schools about the importance of responsible drinking, restrictions on cut-price booze promotions, plenty of police on patrol in the city centre and really tough penalties in the courts for those who mix booze and violence and we might start to make some headway.
As a nation, drink has always been our downfall, but as Scotland's capital city, we can't allow alcohol and aggression to ruin a reputation we have worked so hard to achieve.
Focus on young for right reasons
WE hear far too few positive stories about young people in the community but this evening there will be no shortage of such good news at the Modern Apprenticeship Awards in Edinburgh.
Those collecting prizes have stuck in and followed strict training to get the skills needed to pursue chosen careers in everything from catering to car mechanics.
Some have faced tough personal obstacles along the way but together they are a credit to Scottish youth and proof that we're still producing youngsters who are happy to take hard work and responsibility in exchange for being given opportunity.
Top chef bowled over by Snowballs
AMERICA'S equivalent of Gordon Ramsay is in Edinburgh at the moment filming for his TV cookery series.
Anthony Bourdain was once a coke-snorting hellraiser but now spends his time travelling the globe in search of culinary adventure.
As such he's the man who once ate the still beating heart of a cobra and some even less appetising things.
So when I met him yesterday it was hard to know what to take as a gift but I eventually settled on a packet of snowballs.
He said he'd never seen anything like them in his life which I think was a compliment. Or maybe not.
The full article contains 1018 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
