A rise in the number of female binge drinkers means more and more women are putting themselves at risk.

A few hours spent in Colchester town centre on Saturday night and the police can quickly point out women who are already glassy-eyed, staggering or - in one case - even unconscious by 11pm.

Inspector Paul Butcher, of the Colchester town policing team, said that while the town is still a safe place to go out, the change in drinking attitudes is altering the way they police.

He said: "The number of women going out and getting very drunk has definitely increased within the past ten years.



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"The nature of drinks has changed - there are a lot more drinks that are attractive to women than was previously the case.

"You don't get women sipping half a bitter any more.

"A lot of the new drinks are very strong, and people tend to have a lot of them in a very short time, often without eating."

With vast quantities of alcohol often comes confidence, and it is this combination that could be leading women down the path to danger.

Insp Butcher said: "When people are drunk they are more confident, and sometimes they will walk home late at night without any care about their personal safety.

"Anybody who is drunk is incapable of looking after themselves, and there are people that will take advantage of that."

Laura King, 19, of Colchester, said: "I've seen women walk down the alleys on their own. I would never do it.

"I live just out of town and I would rather wake my mum up and get a lift home than take a taxi alone or try and walk anywhere."

Her friend Daisy Travis, 18, agreed: "There are always long queues for taxis, and so I will always get my dad to give me a lift home, whatever time it is. He will drop all of my friends off first as well, to make sure we get home.

"I guess we're the sensible ones. On the way home you do see a lot of women falling over though."

Another issue is an increase in the number of allegations of rape where consent is an issue, often because one or both parties were drunk.

A drive by the Government last year tried to enforce the message that if someone was too drunk, a "yes" might still mean no.

Insp Butcher confirmed that the number of rapes involving a consent issue had increased in Colchester.

Figures show that the number of women arrested in Essex for being drunk and disorderly has almost doubled in five years.