THE Lan Kwai Fong tragedy has forced an end to the era of police ''accommodation'' of large-scale events, which could mean temporary bans on drinking in public and the use of spray foam, a senior police officer said yesterday.
Assistant Commissioner Mr Brian Wigley, deputy director (operations), said his personal view was that Lan Kwai Fong was unsuitable for large events, such as the New Year's Eve incident which left 21 people dead.
However, a Lan Kwai Fong Association spokesman last night defended the area as a major venue, saying events needed to be properly managed and controlled instead.
Mr Wigley, who is compiling the force's internal investigation into crowd control measures, told Mr Justice Bokhary at an open Supreme Court hearing that police would likely limit access and numbers of people allowed in the area at certain times, controlling people through a one-way system.
Overseas approaches to crowd control were also being examined.
It was the third open hearing of Mr Justice Bokhary's independent inquiry, expected to be completed in two weeks.