City booze ban to be extended - Police get extra powers to arrest drunks

From the archive, first published Tuesday 21st Feb 2006.

A BOOZE ban is set to be extended to more parts of Worcester following a successful clampdown on drunks in the city centre and St John's.

Police powers to arrest anyone `deemed likely' to become worse for wear from alcohol would cover St Clement's churchyard, St John's, Tallow Hill Industrial Estate and the shopping precinct in Lichfield Avenue, Ronkswood.

The new order would match the one already in force in the grounds of St John's Church on Bromyard Road, St John's, and the city centre.

It means anyone caught drinking in public would face arrest if they fail to stop doing so following a request from a police officer.

The order is not an outright ban on drinking alcohol in public - but it would give police power to apprehend people if an officer believes it would lead to anti-social behaviour.

Coun Margaret Layland, who represents St John's, said: "I fully support this order myself. There have been problems with people drinking alcohol in the past in St John's and that has a knock-on affect on areas like St Clement's Churchyard.

"The city centre had problems with alcohol before we had the order there. Now it's much better."

The city council introduced the first such order in the city centre in May 2004 to help combat the rise of anti-social behaviour caused by drunkenness.

It was then rolled out to the grounds of St John's church following complaints about drunken behaviour.

The council said many youths disperse from an area when they realise drinking there would be tricky.

There is now a concern drunks congregate around St Clement's Churchyard on Henwick Road after they realised the second order was in place in St John's.

Cabinet member for finance Coun Simon Geraghty said: "I think these orders are essential if we want to make sure Worcester is a clean and

safe place.

"It worked in the city centre and means less people hang around.

"Issues like anti-social behaviour and litter as a result of drinking have to be tackled.

"There is a real debate to be had about this because people just disperse to another area - the locations identified have a very recent history of drink related problems."

Council leaders will discuss the issue tonight.

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