A FIGHT involving 10 people broke out in a Colne pub in the early hours of New Year’s Day — it seems even the presence of a Lady Gaga impersonator couldn’t keep the mood light and festive.

Police are also appealing for witnesses to a New Year’s Day street fight that spilled out from a Blackburn pub and left a peacemaker with a fractured eye socket.

On Sunday, thousands of Muslim men marched through the streets of Blackburn and Nelson to celebrate the birthday of the holy prophet Muhammad.

Prayers, songs and colourful flags were a feature at both events, while women and children handed out cakes to those involved in the processions.

Now, I’m fully aware that this is a highly controversial issue, but if thousands of Muslim men can come together and celebrate joyfully without a single arrest, then what is our problem?

And, of course, we all know the answer to that. Agreed, I’ve highlighted two local New Year incidents and there are undoubtedly thousands of people who had a drink and managed to stay out of trouble this Christmas.

Those two incidents, however, are not isolated. The fact that national and local newspapers now publish galleries of “shameful reveller” pictures every New Year is testament to the fact that more and more of us are getting off our faces and behaving in ways that would shame our mothers. What’s more, appearing in the red tops as a knicker-showing, street-peeing representative of Binge Britain seems to be a badge of honour for some.

Which brings me to Dry January. It’s a campaign by Alcohol Concern supported by Public Health England. Participants are asking for sponsorship to give up drinking for a month to raise money, which is good in one way, as many of us will probably be needing its support before too long.

But giving up alcohol for a month if we’re going to sink 10 pints on February 1 is a waste of time. If you want a better incentive, here’s one.

An estimated 10 to 15 per cent of those who drink more than 50g of alcohol daily for longer than 10 years develop cirrhosis — that’s three pints of beer, or three medium glasses of wine.

But if that doesn’t scare us into moderation, how would we feel with the condition Ascites – a hugely swollen belly full of fluid, our bodies constantly itching, yellow skin and eyes, fever attacks, memory loss, insomnia and vomiting. Oh, and death, finally. That’s cirrhosis for you.

Anyone who needs sponsoring to give up alcohol for a month should ask themselves why their health is not the ultimate incentive. Have we really convinced ourselves that Alcohol Concern is solely for homeless winos?

As a reformed alcoholic once said to me — “anyone who says they don’t have a drink problem should be able to give up for a year”. Happy Moderation Year