Newcastle crackdown on student initiation drinking events

Ed Farmer had a cardiac arrest following heavy drinking at a banned initiation event

Council bosses are pledging a new crackdown on Newcastle's bars and clubs following the death of a student.

Ed Farmer died from the "toxic effects" of consuming excessive alcohol at a banned freshers' initiation event organised by Newcastle University's Agricultural Society in 2016.

Plans have been drawn up to minimise the chances of a similar incident.

They include frequent inspections of late-night drinking venues and new training for event promoters.

An inquest last year heard the 20-year-old, from Leicester, suffered a fatal brain injury after going into cardiac arrest following a pub crawl where first years were "egged on" to drink vodka trebles by older students.

Scheme 'undermined'

In its conclusion, coroner Karen Dilks called for new action and awareness raising measures.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a report would go before Safe Newcastle members - including representatives from the police, the council, and health organisations, businesses and community groups - on Thursday.

It found the city's old "Raising the Bar" scheme to reward bars for good practice was "not always effectively implemented" and became "undermined" by police and council interventions.

Under a new charter bars would be graded by Newcastle City Council inspectors based on factors such as their compliance with the conditions of their alcohol licences and confidence in the venue's management.

It said there should also be more awareness over the dangers of alcohol.