TOWN centre streets are to become booze-free zones as local authorities and the police team up to take advantage of tough new legislation.

Blackburn and Accrington are to be among the first places in the country to have a ban on drinking in a bid to cut the number of alcohol-related crimes.

The move is expected to take effect early in the New Year under legislation introduced last month which gives local authorities the power to declare any area a no-drinking zone.

It comes a week after East Lancashire was revealed to have one of the worst problems with over-drinking in the country, with more than 10,000 men and 8,000 women regularly drink way over the recommended alcohol limit each week.

Police will have the power to demand drink off anyone caught boozing in public. If they refuse, the police can arrest and charge them under existing public order laws, which often result in people being convicted and fined by magistrates.

Several Lancashire towns set up bylaws prohibiting drinking in town centre streets under previously legislation but people were only liable to a small fine for breaking them.

Blackburn and Accrington are believed to be the first towns in the county to be covered by the new powers, with Clitheroe and Darwen expected to follow if the move is a success.

Both Blackburn and Accrington suffer from drink-related crime, with around 39 per cent of all violent assaults in Eastern Division, which covers the two towns as well as Ribble Valley and Darwen, being committed in the two town centres.

Details of the plans for local towns come just a week after it was revealed that 40 per cent of cases seen at hospitals in East Lancashire were drink-related -- compared with 12 to 20 per cent across the rest of the country.

East Lancashire Health Authority has backed the move but health education officials have urged the government to spend more on educating people about the long-term dangers of over-drinking.

In Blackburn, plans are being drawn up for the entire town centre -- bounded by the new orbital route -- to be declared out of bounds for street boozers.

In Accrington, streets inside the bypass route will also be declared no-booze areas.

Chief Inspector Neil Smith, of Blackburn Police, said: "It should reduce the number of incidents of people being glassed and make the streets safer, especially at night.

"It has to be local authority-led, and we are in contact with councils to see if we can work with them.

"This sounds draconian but we get lots of complaints about the anti-social behaviour of young people in the evenings, especially at the weekends."

Blackburn is at the centre of a Safer Street initiative, launched by the police and Blackburn with Darwen Council to try and find ways of reducing crime in the town centre.

Varying licensing hours, considering stronger glasses and higher police presence at night time are being considered.

Executive member for welfare rights and entitlements, which includes licensing, Coun Maureen Bateson said the proposals have still to be studied by the executive board of Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Coun Doug Hayes, Hyndburn cabinet member with responsibility for Crime and Disorder, said: "There was an existing by-law in Hyndburn which gave the police powers to curb public drinking, but the council never used it.

"But the new Government legislation has given us more confidence to tackle the problem. Drinkers have been causing all sorts of problems under the influence of alcohol and it can be dangerous in Accrington on a Saturday night."