DRUNKS, troublemakers and yobs are being given an extra chance to avoid arrest in Colchester.

The man in charge of policing in the borough is hoping they will take notice of the notices being handed out and learn their lesson rather than clogging up the cells and the courts.

Chief Inspector Paul Wells, district commander for Colchester, said: “If we can deal with people before they become a bigger issue then officers are not tied up and incidents can be resolved instead of escalating.”

There were 55 notices handed out in Colchester during the past seven days.

See the full story in Tuesday's Gazette.