Buckfast Blues

I saw this in the news today and for some reason it made me think of my old pal and work colleague wee Ben:

The tonic wine Buckfast has been mentioned in 5,000 crime reports by Scotland’s biggest police force in the last three years, a BBC investigation has revealed.

Almost one in 10 of those crimes in the Strathclyde Police force area was violent, according to figures obtained by the broadcaster under Freedom of Information legislation. During that period the Buckfast bottle was used as a weapon 114 times.

Police said the figures suggested there is an association between Buckfast and violence. The findings are revealed in the programme BBC Scotland Investigates: The Buckfast Code tonight.

During the programme Superintendent Bob Hamilton of Strathclyde Police was asked whether the figures mean that Buckfast can be said to be associated with violence. He replied: “I think it’s clear from the figures that there is an association there.”

He added: “The figures are fairly clear that Buckfast is mentioned in a number of crime reports and over the period requested, the Buckfast bottle was used 114 times as a weapon.” Buckfast is produced by Benedictine monks in a Devon monastery. The investigation also looks at the ingredients of the drink and how they may affect the behaviour of consumers, potentially making them anxious and aggressive if drunk in large quantities.