Is there too much booze in Blackpool town centre?

With Talbot ward home to more off-licences than anywhere else in Blackpool, public health officials are concerned about the latest bid from a shop wanting to sell more alcohol.
Is there too much booze in Blackpool town centre?Is there too much booze in Blackpool town centre?
Is there too much booze in Blackpool town centre?

To find out just how readily available booze is in the heart of the resort, we sent reporter James Graves out to find out.

Despite the Talbot ward having 28 off-licenses, anyone trying to buy alcohol in the town centre will find it a bit of a struggle like I did.

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I started my own booze cruise from the new B&M Bargains on Church Street.

The nearest places to buy alcohol in the town centre were at Marks & Spencer – not the cheapest of destinations for some beer or wine! – and Co-Op, where I could get three bottles of ale for £5.

My next stop was at Home Bargains on Talbot Road.

Deals on offer included four cans of Carlsberg for £3.49 and a two litre bottle of Magners cider for £2.99.

As I headed further out of town, I reached Booze Buster on Dickson Road.

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I was greeted with deals such as single cans of Woodpecker for £1.35 and four cans of eight per cent strength Gaymers K cider for £5.

As I moved nearer to the train station, I found those on a budget could buy four cans of Sainsbury’s Basics lager for just £1.10 or their two litre Basics lager for £2.35.

I completed my trip at Premier on Cookson Street where four cans of Red Stripe lager can be had for £4.75.

But it was actually harder than you might expect to find “super-strength” beers, like the ones causing concerns for public health officials.