Alcohol ban on streets that are magnet for drunks

Drinking is to be banned from some of London's wealthiest streets amid worries they are attracting a growing number of drunks.

Police in Kensington and Chelsea will be able to confiscate alcohol and fine anyone £500 if they refuse to hand over their drink after a trial of the measures to tackle anti-social behaviour in problem hot spots.

Earl's Court and the streets around Ladbroke Grove Tube in the north of the borough have been subject to the measures since 2003, but a study in the past two years showed that drunks were just moving on.

The three neighbouring authorities have implemented borough-wide bans, which councillors say is pushing street drinkers into Kensington and Chelsea's residential areas. The study found there were 1,257 incidents of anti-social behaviour involving drinking on the streets in the borough in the past two years.

Doreen Weatherhead, chairwoman of Kensington and Chelsea's enforcement committee, said: "Hammersmith and Fulham have done it, Westminster have done it, so these people will be looking for somewhere else to be without getting hassled and we don't want it to be here.

"It's something that gives the police powers to call a halt to the situations without having to go through the hassle of arresting someone for being drunk and disorderly."

Residents groups welcomed the move, although said it was something that should have already been done. King's Road Association of Chelsea Residents said: "There's a real problem with enforcement and a real need for the police to be given new powers. With the risk that the problem could be exacerbated by the other boroughs doing the same thing, it's imperative the council brings in the moves."

Westminster was the first to introduce the powers in 2002. Hammersmith and Fulham followed suit in 2006 and Brent the year after to ease problems with Wembley football drunks.