DISORDERLY behaviour will not be tolerated in Colchester this Christmas.

Insp Paul Butcher gave the warning in a bid to stop a repeat of last year’s festive season when the town saw an outbreak of drunken crime and disorder, with the worst night seeing 73 incidents.

Insp Butcher warned: “If you are one of those people who becomes obnoxious and causes trouble when drunk, make sure you take a toothbrush and have enough money for a taxi fare home from Stansted or Basildon police stations.”

He said festive revellers should think twice about hitting the booze after heading off on nights out straight from work.

“Last year, the cocktail of booze and large groups of men proved an explosive one, he said, and the 17 cells at Colchester were quickly filled.

Offenders were sent on to Clacton, Braintree and Chelmsford.

By the end of the evening, some were being sent to Basildon and Stansted Airport – 27 miles away – to stay until they had slept off the alcohol and were ready to be dealt with.

This year Colchester police will have extra officers on the street early on.