Police look to extend no-drinking zone
POLICE are consulting on plans to extend a no-drinking zone to cover the whole of Ashington in a bid to clamp-down on anti-social behaviour.
For several years youths caught drinking in Hirst Park and the Town Centre have seen their alcohol confiscated by officers.
But police chiefs are now looking to expand the so-called Designated Public Protection Order (DPPO) to cover the whole of the town in a bid to reduce under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour.
Members of Northumberland County Council's licensing and regulatory committee have given the go-ahead for the police to carry out a three-month consultation exercise on the scheme.
Ashington police inspector Richard Yeats said the new powers will not ban drinking in itself, but it will give discretion to individual officers.
Insp Yeats said the DPPO could free up massive amounts of police time.
"Anything that can get problem drinking off the streets has got to be a good thing," he said.
"We are not talking about targeting families sitting in the park with a glass of wine and a picnic.
"We are talking about getting the under-age children and problem adults standing around street corners causing public nuisance.
"We need to get that type of drinking off the streets.
"People have been coming back to us asking why adults feel the need to stand drinking on street corners in the first place.
"This order is another tool we can use to reduce anti-social behaviour in Ashington, as well as try to cut down on alcohol abuse.
"This will not change the way in which we police the area, but it will allow us to address the issues that residents have been highlighting to us."
The results of the consultation will be reported back to members of Northumberland County Council at a later date.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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