Alcohol ban vote tonight (From This Is Wiltshire)

Alcohol ban vote tonight

2:51pm Wednesday 23rd January 2008

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REVELLERS drinking alcohol in the streets around Chippenham could soon face a fine of up to £500 if plans to introduce a public place order are given the go ahead.

If the proposal to set up a Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) in the town is accepted, drinkers could also be arrested and banned from drinking in public again.

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Chippenham Town Council will vote on the order tonight, and it could be implemented as soon as May.

The proposal has received a mixed reaction from councillors and residents in the town.

Councillor Rob Jones said: "This proposal has attracted a lot of discussion already.

"I live on London Road and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night we have tribes of drunken people walking home.

"At the same time there is usually damage to vehicles parked on the road and damage to property.

"I am not convinced this order will work as it is people drinking in the pub and then walking home - not just drinking in the street."

If the order is accepted, it gives powers to the police and community support officers to request a person to stop drinking alcohol within the designated area.

If the person fails to do so they can be slapped with a penalty notice of £50, face arrest and prosecution for a fine of up to £500 or have bail conditions stopping them from drinking in public altogether.

The order is aimed at dealing with drunken anti-social behaviour in the town.

Between April and September last year the police were called to 240 incidents involving anti-social behaviour, of which 47 were cases of actual bodily harm.

They believe that alcohol played a part in most of the reported crimes.

Town and district councillor Sylvia Doubell has welcomed the proposal but says it must not be used as a blanket scheme.

She said: "The order is an important tool but must be used directly for the town centre.

"In Pewsham we have a big problem with underage drinking in public - we often see children between 11 and 15-years old drinking by the shops.

"It is essential that the town centre and the parks around the town are targeted by the scheme as this is where the problem lies.

"Things are getting worse and something has to be done."

Similar schemes are already in place in Malmesbury and Calne and have proved to be a success.

Inspector for Chippenham Gavin Williams said: "Malmesbury, Calne and Devizes have all seen drops in anti-social behaviour and crime and we would use this to bring Chippenham in line with that position.

"If you look at any measures taken to stop people drinking alcohol in public places, such as in town centres, they have resulted in a drop in reported crime and a greater feeling of security of people lawfully going about their business.

"We have seen a substantial drop in crime and we would use this to assist in reducing it further. It's also about people's perception of crime."

The order is aimed just at adults, as police can currently deal with underage drinkers in public.

The proposed outline for the designated area includes the entire town centre out to Rowden Hill in the West and Pewsham in the East.

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