Alcohol abuse is reaching dangerous levels amongst middle-aged and elderly men.

That's the warning from Chief Constable Gary Roberts, presenting his report to the Licensing Court that meets every three years to regulate the trade.

The Chief Constable says the island has a good licensing trade that is doing its best and that standards are generally high. But he's highlighting some of the issues that have emerged over the past three years.

Mr Roberts said: 'Few things have greater, more far-reaching or more deeply embebbed implications for the safety of our community that does the sale, supply, consumption or misuse of alcohol.'

The latest data shows half of all arrests involve alcohol and two-thirds of those arrested over the age of 62 were drunk.

'The figures for older people are particularly worrying..dangerous levels of alcohol abuse particularly amongst middle-aged and elderly men. The societal and health dangers are considerable and much needs to be done if this is not to become a very real problem,' reportsthe Chief Constable.

He warns that the resources he can dedicate to licensing matters have been reduced, adding: 'Those resources are now, in my professional opinion, at an irreducible level. Were I to have to make further reductions in respect of our alcohol work, then I would predict that much of the progress we have made in recent years would be at risk of unravelling. I will do all my in power to prevent this from happening.'

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