DRINKING alcohol in public places within a designated area of Trowbridge will be an offence as of next week.

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) will be implemented in the town on Monday, January 23.

The PSPO will mean that drinking alcohol within the designated area will be prohibited and anybody caught consuming alcohol, urinating or defecating in the area could be liable to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

It has come about after a total of 91 calls to police from members of the public over the summer months were made relating to anti-social drinking in the town centre.

Inspector James Brain said: “The local community has spoken and we have listened to their feedback.

“The implementation of the Public Space Protection Order is a real success story for us. It means that we will have a complete ban on drinking within the designated area.

“This has come about as a result of close partnership working with Wiltshire Council and the town council.

“We made the promise to the local Trowbridge community that we would tackle, head on, the problem of anti-social drinking in our town, and we have kept to our promise.

“We recognise that street drinking and the anti-social behaviour that is often associated with it has caused problems within our town and can often lead to members of our community feeling intimidated and fearful.

“This is completely unacceptable, and this is why we are taking a robust approach. As well as this, we also recognise that some of the people who engage in this behaviour are in need of support and alongside our partners, we will ensure that they receive the help they require."

Inspector Brain added that he would like to thank police officers for their determination, which has enabled the force to implement the first PSPO of its kind within Wiltshire, excluding Swindon.

Jerry Wickham, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for public health and public protection, said: “We want to support people to drink safely as, alongside the antisocial element, it damages people’s health, and is a contributing factor for a number of conditions.

“This order supports our work to promote alcohol awareness through our alcohol strategy, which sets out the strategic priorities for local partners and identifies how it will tackle alcohol-related harm.”

To report anyone drinking alcohol in public places within the designated area from Monday, call 101.