Drunken Christmas revellers keep cops busy

The night between Christmas Day and Boxing Day kept Swedish police officers busy with plenty of drunkenness and several brawls.

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"It's the same old Christmas mess every year, with so many people going out," said the Jönköping police force's press spokesman Jan Lagerqvist to the TT news agency.

The evening of December 25 sees many Swedes flocking to pubs, as those who're back in their home town for the holidays take the chance to reunite with old school friends, and the night tends to be a busy one for police officers.

While both Kalmar and Jämtland police forces reported an unusually calm "homecoming" evening, the Jönköping police were kept on their toes with 15 cases of assault and some 50 cases of drunkenness.

"It's been messy but still somehow under control," said Lagerqvist.

In Skåne, 19 persons were taken into custody for drunkenness during the night, and 27 assault cases were reported. Somewhat lower than last year's Christmas, concludes the Skåne police force's spokesman Jimmy Modin.

"But there's still been quite a bit of drunkenness and mess. Just like a regular pay day," he said.

At 4am on Wednesday, police were alerted to an out-of-control Christmas party at a motor club in Kungälv, in southern Sweden. The police left the club, only to return again at 5:30am to the 20 or so revelers.

One was taken into custody, and two charges of assault were reported, although no one was seriously injured according to the police.

The night was relatively calm in Halland, Kronoberg and Kalmar, but four were arrested for drunk driving, and several intoxicated persons were taken in to the police station to sleep it off.