The overcrowding is not a problem, i reckon it makes it a bit safer because you are never alone in a dark alley or whatever. The cops- yeah they are EVERYWHERE. They walk in groups of 5 and you can't go 5 minutes without seeing a bunch of them. They are pretty lenient though- a friend of mine was so drunk he didn't know where he was, so some nice coppers threw him in the back of the car and drove him around till he sobered up and remembered where his hotel was! Then they just dropped him off, that's all.
jonojet, it's not overly expensive, like you'd have to live on bread and water for the rest of your life. I spent about 800 all up, including flights from and to newcastle. If you want to fly, but the tickets NOW, they double in price through the year.
pick a hotel less than a K from cavill, even if it is a shitty hotel, because it's better to be close rather than walk half an hour to get there or have to pay for a cab. Besides, if it is a bodge hotel, they are less likely to notice the bourbon stain on the carpet!
OH and DEFINATELY GET ONE WITH A FRIDGE. That way you can buy up at the bottlo and get smashed before you go into town. Nothing worse than a warm beer.
Any more questions, don't be afraid to ask me.