Booze banned in town centre (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Booze banned in town centre

ALCOHOL has been banned from the streets of Cirencester. New signs, announcing the first alcohol-free zone in the Cotswolds have gone up in the town this week.

And drunks and other known troublemakers caught flouting the ban can be fined up to £500.

The zone, which is designed to cut down on groups of alcoholics and under-age drinkers in the town, is a joint initiative between Cotswold District Council, Cirencester Town Council and Gloucestershire Police.

CDC's Community Liaison Officer Nikki Coupland said: "We have been very concerned by the growing number of complaints we've received about anti-social behaviour related to alcohol. Local people feel intimidated and businesses feel they are being adversely affected.

"That's why we've worked together with the town council and the police to introduce this alcohol-free zone, which will stop a small minority spoiling the enjoyment of the town for everybody else."

The 26 signs have been erected at key points around the zone, which covers an area from the Abbey Grounds in the north to St Michael's Park in the south, and takes in Victoria Road, Watermoor Road, Ashcroft Road and streets in between.

The aim of the new scheme is to deter groups of drinkers who have been causing disturbances - particularly in the Abbey Grounds - and to prevent daytime drinking on the streets. Between November 2003 and early September 2004, the police were called to 40 incidents in the Abbey Grounds alone.

Under the Criminal and Justice Police Act 2001, an officer can ask someone to surrender alcohol or open alcohol containers if he or she reasonably believes the person intends to drink alcohol in the banned area.

However, the police say they are mainly targeting persistent offenders and not families enjoying picnics.

Inspector Mike Jacka of Cirencester police said: "We are very pleased that alcohol free zones have been introduced in Cirencester.

"Clamping down on alcohol-related anti-social behaviour is one of our top priorities as a force, and these new restrictions should help to make Cirencester a better, more pleasant, place to live, work and visit."