Friday 25 August 2006

Crackdown on antisocial drinking behaviour

Redcar and Cleveland Council is introducing Designated Public Place Orders from Friday, September 1 to curb alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour for over 300 streets in nine towns and villages across the Borough.

The towns and villages covered are Brotton (22 streets), Marske (30), Redcar (35), Loftus (67), Guisborough (88), Eston (8), Saltburn (30), Normanby (20) and Carlin How (11) as well as a number of parks and playing fields.

The Council's Cabinet Member for Community Safety Councillor Joyce Benbow said: "This order is designed to help the good citizens of the Borough enjoy the parks and streets in their free time without harassment from alcohol fuelled individuals”.

Inspector Andrew Bright, Chair of the Redcar and Cleveland Community Safety Partnership’s Violence and Street Crime Task Group, said. “This is another valuable tool in our armoury to help stamp out anti-social behaviour and crime fuelled by the irresponsible consumption of alcohol which so often brings misery to residents and communities”.

Councils can designate public areas where they are satisfied nuisance, annoyance or disorder has been associated with public drinking in that area. There are no provisions under the legislation to create Alcohol Free Zones or blanket restrictions.

If a Police Officer, Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) or community safety warden believes that someone is consuming alcohol or intends to consume alcohol they can require them to stop and/or confiscate the alcohol from people whether the drinking vessel is unopened or not.

If someone, without a reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a request from a Police Officer, PCSO or Community Safety Warden they are committing an offence and further action can be taken which can include a penalty notice for disorder of £50 being issued. A Police Officer can also arrest an offender and prosecute them.

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