OKEHAMPTON Town Council may consider re-examining the possibility of a by-law banning on-street drinking, but says it would like more information about how such a scheme has worked in another part of West Devon. Bere Alston introduced such a ban last year. Okehampton town councillors said they were disappointed West Devon Borough Council had not kept them informed about the impact of the ban on drunken and anti-social behaviour. The issue was raised by Cllr Kay Bickley at Monday?s meeting of the town council?s parks committee. Fellow councillors echoed her concern. She said her concern was sparked by a recent incident when a man had passed out from excessive consumption of alcohol and was lying close to the entrance to one of the town supermarket?s for much of the day. Cllr Kay Bickley, said: ?I don?t like the impression that gives of Okehampton at all.? Town clerk Don Bent reported that Okehampton?s new Community Support Officer had acted to confiscate alcohol being consumed by under-age drinkers in Simmons Park on a number of occasions, since taking up the post three months ago. Councillors previously discussed the issue two years ago, but concerns were expressed about the inflexibility of applying such a ban. Sgt Dave Anning, of West Devon?s Community Safety Initiative, which backed the ban in Bere Alston, said the police regarded the scheme as a success, since it had come into effect on April 1 last year. Sgt Anning said: ?The problem of large groups of people congregating in the street to drink alcohol is much reduced from what it was.? Sgt Anning said the by-law gave police ?discretionary power? to act, so they would not need to take action at local events where small quantities of alcohol were being quietly consumed. Sgt Anning said he believed Okehampton was quite different to Bere Alston, where a culture of young men regularly gathering in large groups in the street to drink bottles of alcohol had developed and needed to be addressed. Cllr Bickley was recently co-opted to fill a vacancy on the town council following the death of Cllr John Maguire.
