DRUNKEN criminals will have to pay to go on courses as part of plans to reduce booze-fuelled violence.
Troublemakers will be made to pay for the alcohol-awareness seminars as part of a conditional caution.
The punishment will be trialled in the East Riding, where officers have prioritised tackling alcohol-related violent crime.
The Mail understands they are likely to be issued as an alternative to a fixed penalty ticket or traditional caution and will only be available to first-time offenders.
Those responsible for more serious alcohol-related crimes will continue to be prosecuted.
Full details of the scheme are expected to be announced later this month.
Humberside police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove said: "I want drunks who cause trouble to have bigger consequences for their actions.
"I'm pleased to say we will soon be starting to trial a new system of conditional cautions in selected areas, where those arrested for alcohol offences will be have to pay for an alcohol awareness seminar, similar to that of speeding drivers.
"This will only be offered to first-time offenders and not regular troublemakers."
The introduction of the cautions come as police are trying to halt a rise in violence in the East Riding.
Figures show that in April and May, there were 249 violent crimes that led to a person being injured in the county.
During the same period last year, there were 240 offences. About half of all violent crime in the county is estimated to involved alcohol.
Police are doubling the number of officers on the streets of the county on Friday and Saturday nights as part of their bid to reduce crime.
The cautions are expected to be introduced next month as part of an initial pilot scheme in conjunction with Humberside Police and East Riding Council.
Currently, offenders may be given a fixed penalty notice fining them or a caution, which stays on their criminal record but acts as a warning.
Mr Grove said: "We must have consequences that last longer than a hangover."
He has been spurred on to introduce the cautions after spending a night on patrol with police incident resolution officers in Hull city centre.
During the evening, he tweeted: "Helping ambulance service with numerous street drunks. This is costing £££s and draining resources to fight crime. Something must be done.
"Today I have witnessed the social and financial cost of misusing alcohol. The challenge is huge but we must do more to stop this."
Police in the East Riding have also been giving rowdy drunks sweets alongside notices banning them from certain areas.
Officers say the sweets, which are handed out with a "red card" dispersal notice, calm potential troublemakers.
They will also be handing out lollipops to racegoers at Journal Ladies' Day at Beverley Races on Wednesday, a tactic introduced last year.
