Street drinkers face new West End curbs

New measures are being lined up to tackle the problem of street drinking across central London.

Westminster council is considering whether to extend restrictions across the whole borough, which covers most of the West End. A decision is expected next month.

The move would not ban alfresco drinkers and diners but would allow police to tell drunks to stop drinking and give them the right to confiscate alcohol. A similar scheme is being considered by Camden council for the area around Camden Town Tube station, which is notorious for anti-social behaviour.

Alan Bradley, cabinet member for community protection, said: "The controls do not target responsible drinkers behaving reasonably. It is another tool for police to tackle anti-social and nuisance behaviour brought about by drinking on the streets."