By Dan Antunes
The last Friday before Christmas, Yorkshire’s Mad Friday tradition is set to rear its head once again. Normally an excuse to get annihilated before you’re bound by your Christmas duties, the event normally sees workers pour out their offices in droves looking for the satisfaction an alcohol filled evening will bring to them.
Trekking to their nearest alcohol oasis a high amount of foot traffic is expected to hit pubs with the party animal being brought out of even the most reserved of people. Though the Christmas festivities are never short of celebrations, this tends to be the heaviest night in the Christmas calendar with 100, 000 people expected to be hitting Leeds city centre alone.
With such a looseness in the air there’s also an expectancy for public disorder to increase. With a 35% increase in 999 calls expected sectors like South Yorkshire police will be increasing their presence to combat the lairiness expected. Yorkshire police forces have also issued statements as guidance to ensure members of the public are safe and able to protect themselves from their own foolishness. Such safety guide lines include; suggested planning of your journey home, travelling in groups moderating your drink consumption (the least likely to be followed) and using Taxis as the main way of getting home. An underlining message of no tolerance towards violence aimed at police or the public was also outlined. Community support officer numbers and security staff members are also set to increase.
So, as you flood Cross Church Street for a night of merriment and debauchery, we hope you feel no shame in shuffling towards the nearest taxi rank to end the night on a peaceful note but if not then we hope your hangover isn’t too horrible.