‘A cultural shift’: drinkers hit Hull’s Low Ale Trail for alcohol-free options

‘It’s a cultural shift,’ said James Claxton, the owner of the Brain Jar cocktail bar. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

It has become known as “Mad Friday”: the Friday before Christmas when all hell breaks loose on the streets of the UK as festive revellers spill out of packed bars and, in some cases, into A&E.

Emergency services were warning the public to stay safe on what is, for many, the last working day before a Christmas break – also known as “Frantic Friday” or “Black Eye Friday”, and one of the busiest nights of the year for the NHS and police.