Joy Allen, the Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, has funded handheld “dip sample” testing strips for officers in Durham city centre to detect alcohol in disguised containers. The PCC announced the funding in a statement on February 9, 2026.
According to the PCC’s statement, the “dip sample” strips change colour within seconds on contact with alcohol, allowing officers to check the contents of soft drink bottles or unlabelled containers without guessing. The rollout is focused on busy areas such as Framwellgate Bridge, North Road and the Market Place, and aims to reduce late‑night antisocial behaviour linked to “pre‑loading.”
Under existing Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) and the Anti‑social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, officers may confiscate alcohol consumed in breach of a PSPO and issue a Fixed Penalty Notice for breaches. A positive dip test is being used by officers to provide reasonable grounds for seizure or for pursuing an FPN under those local orders (FPNs for PSPO breaches are commonly up to £100).
PCC Joy Allen said in the February 9 statement: “We are sending a clear message that street drinking in restricted zones will not be ignored. These dip tests remove the guesswork for our officers and provide instant evidence, allowing them to de‑escalate situations and keep our streets safe for everyone.” The initiative is intended to discourage people drinking before entering bars and clubs and to make the historic city centre more welcoming for families and residents.
The strips are currently being used primarily to give officers reasonable grounds for on‑the‑spot enforcement. Independent assessment of the strips’ reliability as primary evidence in court is ongoing; their admissibility as definitive evidence has not yet been established.
