Council establishes no go zone for nuisance drinkers

The zone - known as a Designated Public Place Order - gives police the power to confiscate and dispose of alcohol if people are annoying or intimidating others when drunk.

The crackdown on alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour is expected to begin in June. It is part of a strategy to clean up the area for residents. If it is successful, an order could be made to expand the zone to cover the whole borough by the time of the 2012 Games.

Under the order police can confiscate and dispose of alcohol and drinks containers, like cans, bottles or flasks, even if they have not been opened, if they think people are or could cause a nuisance. Police will also gain powers to tell groups of people to move on.

If drinkers accept police advice, the matter would not be pursued, but if they refuse, they could be hit with a £50 fixed penalty notice, or they could end up in court with a maximum fine of £500.

Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said: "Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is one of the top priorities for this council. Residents are telling us drunken yobbery on our streets is not acceptable and 86% of respondents during consultation agreed with the measures.

"This is a common sense move, and we hope this approach will help residents feel safer when they are out on the streets, especially those who have been affected by this sort of foul behaviour in the past."

Newham's executive member for anti-social behaviour, Councillor June Leitch, stressed the order would not ban all drinking in the area but it will mean troublemakers who are drinking on the streets can be ordered to stop and move on.

"We're not trying to stop everyone from having a responsible quiet drink with friends in Stratford or Forest Gate. This is about making Newham a place where people choose to live, work and stay.

"But we are sending a message - if you get drunk, and you are rude, aggressive or violent because of the alcohol, police will stop you, and if you obstruct them, you will be fined."

A Designated Public Place Order can only be introduced in areas where there is evidence of anti-social behaviour caused by drinking. In Stratford, there were 125 recent complaints about street drinking and during a five-week period, police compiled a list of 43 regular street drinkers who were stopped and warned about their behaviour.

In Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate, police recently recorded 338 alcohol related offences and identified 48 regular street drinkers.

The zone will address issues of anti-social behaviour such as disorderly behaviour, aggressive begging, public urination and public drunkenness relating to the consumption of alcohol in public places.