CONTROVERSIAL byelaws aimed at ridding a town centre of problem drinkers who congregate on streets will go out to public consultation.

Hyndburn Council will ask the views of police, local businesses and borough residents on the likely impact and effectiveness of byelaws in Accrington town centre.

Head of legal services at the council Gordon McMillan, told a town centre regeneration board meeting that the Home Office has issued model byelaws that could be adopted by Hyndburn Council, making it an offence for any person to drink alcohol in the town centre after being warned not to do so by a police officer. Maximum fine for contravention would be £500.

Mr McMillan said: "The byelaw does not prohibit the public consumption of alcohol. For an offence to be committed it is essential that the offender be first warned by a police officer not to continue consuming alcohol in that area.

Principal at Accrington and Rossendale College Mike Austin said he was "very uneasy" about the council introducing the byelaws. He said it smacked of a draconian law similar to that imposed in some Eastern European countries.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "I constantly get mail from constituents about people drinking in the town centre. We are not looking at some totalitarian East European system. It is a last resort but we have to move down this line. Town centre drinkers are a problem to people shopping in Accrington.

"There comes a time when you say enough is enough and you have to make a stand for the majority of the people who don't want this type of thing happening when they go shopping."

President of the town's chamber of trade Mike Whewell said: "We have a major problem and the situation is getting worse.

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