A CENTRE where binge drinkers too plastered to get home can "crash down" for the night has been opened in the North-East.

The drastic measure was introduced to ease the pressure on ambulance crews in Newcastle who say can no longer cope with the tide of helpless weekend boozers.

The centre has been opened in the heart of party city Newcastle's main drinking district, the Quayside.

Up to 50 people at a time will be able to crash out on stretchers, trolleys or the floor.

They will be provided with portable toilets, a supply of water to ward off the inevitable hangover and medical support for any drunken injuries they have picked up in falls and fights.

The Newcastle Remote Medical Centre, set up in a room at the city's Guildhall, is backed by Northumbria Police, who say it will reduce the pressure on accident and emergency wards and the ambulance service.

While health bosses say there are no guidelines about who can use the clinic, it is predominantly for people who "can't look after themselves".

A spokeswoman for the NHS North of Tyne Commissioning Consortium, spearheading the scheme, said: "If you have had far too much to drink and may cause yourself an injury, this is somewhere you can go and rest."

From Friday, a day after late licensing comes into force, the centre will be open from 8pm until 8am every Friday and Saturday until Christmas.