ALCOHOL related arrests taking place in December have dipped by nearly 300 in four years, Cheshire Police has revealed.

A Freedom of Information request uncovered there had been a reduction of around 100 arrests year on year by the Cheshire Constabulary during the Christmas season.

In 2011, 837 arrests occurred, in 2012 there was 745, and 638 in 2013, while last year 551 arrests occurred.

On drinking responsibly over the festive period, Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Roberts, said: “Don’t let alcohol turn your Christmas and New Year blue.”

The number of alcohol related incidents fluctuated over the same period.

In 2011 there 2,111 incidents reported, in 2012 this lowered to 1,758, in 2013 there was a spike to 1,919, and in 2014 the number decreased again to 1,716.

ACC Roberts added: “We recognise that Christmas is a time to have fun, and we’re here to support our communities to ensure that everyone is able to have a safe and enjoyable time throughout the holiday period.

“I want to send out a clear message to anyone planning to go out in Cheshire and commit crime or act in an unacceptable way that your behaviour will not be tolerated.

“We’re here for you working over Christmas to stop the festivities turning blue.”

The well-publicised budget cuts, which have resulted in less officers on the ground to deal with alcohol related incidents, may be a factor in this decrease.

In 2010, under the coalition government, it was announced that the Cheshire Constabulary would have to cut their budget by 20 per cent over the following four years.

The cuts to staff were revealed in the Policing Plan for 2012 to 2015, which stated the number of police officers would decrease by almost 100 in two years.

In 2011, there was a total of 2,060 police officers and in 2014 it was expected that the number of police officers would be reduced to 1,956, and to 1,900 this year, to save £2.8 million in 2014/15.

For any advice and help over the Christmas period follow @cheshirepolice on Twitter.