Two towns to ban drinking in streets

In just under two weeks' time, drinkers found in Cwmbran town centre will be punished with a fine of up to £500 - and Blaenavon town centre will follow suit later in the year.

Police will gain new powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 to confiscate alcohol.

If drinkers refuse, they could be arrested and fined. The measures are being introduced as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour across the borough by the Torfaen Community Safety Part-nership and follow a growing number of incidents where shoppers have been abused in Cwmbran.

They include incidents where drinkers: Urinate on cash machines. Buy alcohol and drink it in the shop, refusing to be moved on. Fight in the streets.

PC Darell Dewar, of Cwmbran police, said: "From now on you will not be able to drink in the streets at all.

"We have had problems with anti-social behaviour in parts of the town caused by people drinking.

"That gives us great cause for concern. Law-abiding people have the right to go shopping without being abused."

Dave Jeremiah, Comm-unity Safety Partnership manager, said: "Most of the fights and problems we get are drink related. These measures are an efficient and rapid way for police to defuse a situation that could turn into a bigger problem.

"We are well on the way to introducing this in Blaenavon, too. "This is a big move, the first of its kind in Gwent, so we want to be careful we get it right.

"Taking alcohol away from people is an important step towards making it socially unacceptable for people to be drinking while walking our streets. "Blaenavon does have a problem with vandalism and with a small group of young people causing problems out of all proportion to their number, and these problems are associated with alcohol.

"We hope this order will be in place in Blaenavon before the end of the year."

The ban on drinking in Cwmbran covers the area enclosed by Caradoc, St Davids, Tudor and Llewelyn Roads.