Residents back street alcohol ban to tackle problem drinkers

At the beginning of this year, police officers who patrol the area compiled a report for Sheffield Council licensing chiefs, which included a catalogue of incidents said to be fuelled by the abuse of drink and drugs.

According to police figures, there were almost 1,200 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded in Shiregreen in the 12 months to December 2010, many involving people who were “in drink”.

Licensing board members then considered imposing a so-called designated public place order, or DPPO, which would make the area an alcohol exclusion zone.

However, when they met in February this year, it was decided that more consultation needed to take place in the Shiregreen area before any such order could be implemented.

A study was then carried out in which 224 people in Shiregreen were surveyed. Of those, 215 said they were in favour of the DPPO being brought in and, as a result, licensing board members are set to pass the legislation tomorrow.

Other local residents added further comments during the consultation period.

One woman, who described herself as a housewife, said she lives opposite an off-licence which is a honeypot for youths causing trouble.

She said: “On a regular basis, large numbers of youths and adults gather. They are very noisy and abusive. They are always drunk and carrying various beer bottles and cans.

“When they have finished with their drink they throw the beer containers all over. I have seen them thrown into people’s gardens and shoved into hedges.

“I find the youths intimidating and the language unacceptable.”

One retired woman said she also supported the introduction of a DPPO and added: “The main concern of many residents is the numbers of people walking the streets with beer and other alcoholic beverages.

“We have seen on many occasions that the alcohol consumption of young people and adults alike is a catalyst to other, more serious offences.”

In his report submitted to licensing chiefs, Insp Simon Leake said that as recently as December last year there was an alcohol-related stabbing at the Shiregreen Arms pub.

He said: “Shiregreen doesn’t just have a problem with people misusing alcohol and causing anti-social behaviour. It has a problem with people renting out social housing and using it to cultivate cannabis.

“That cannabis ends up in the pockets of young people that we search.

“We search those young people because we have found them on the street and they have got themselves into trouble.

“In most cases we find that alcohol is a factor and that it goes hand in hand with drug misuse.

“There are some families who are persistent problem causers, whether that is putting their neighbours through the hell of persistent anti-social behaviour or breaking into people’s houses or cars.

“Again, there is a clear thread of alcohol misuse within these families.

“I feel that Shiregreen deserves a change and it is my view that an order such as an alcohol exclusion zone will have the desired effect of showing the community that we will not stand for such behaviour.

“We want to see Shiregreen back to what it was, a community with a sense of unity, a community which will stand up to wrong-doers and knows it can rely on the support of its police and responsible agencies.”

If members of the committee support the move at tomorrow’s meeting, police will be able to tell people to stop drinking if they are seen consuming alcohol in the street.

If they refuse, they will then have committed a criminal offence.