CHILDREN as young as nine are drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol on the streets of Bere Alston, councillors heard on Tuesday week.

Resident and former ambulance officer, Trevor Paddon-Hall, told a meeting of West Devon Borough Council: ?I?ve had children as young as nine taken to hospital with alcohol-related problems.?

He presented councillors with a petition signed by 207 villagers calling for a by-law preventing the consumption of alcohol in public areas within a two mile radius of the centre of Bere Alston.

He said: ?We would like to see a by-law passed so that a police officer can see a child with alcohol and take it away from him or her.

?We can?t walk down the road at night without seeing youngsters swigging from cans and bottles of beer and other alcoholic drinks.?

Villagers are worried that public drinking on footpaths, parks and roads is effectively excluding them from certain areas.

A recent letter to the borough council, written by Mr Paddon-Hall on behalf of Bere Alston residents, said: ?We have a deep concern that our children and some adults are abusing alcohol to the extent that they cause public places to be excluded from the good people of the village.

?The damage from broken bottles and the physical abuse causes harm not just to those who consume the alcohol in the streets but also now to others.?

Cllr Christine Grills, of Bere Ferrers ward, said last week she had slight reservations about the by-law although it was a good idea in theory.

?If it will cause fewer problems then it?s a good thing,? she said. ?There is a problem with under age drinking in the village, but I?m a bit concerned as to where they will go instead.?

Newly appointed community Police Constable, Rick Hartigan, commented recently: ?There?s a quality of life issue here in addition to particular incidents.

?We hope with the amount of support and the police evidence that the borough council will support the petition.?

Mr Paddon-Hall told councillors at Tuesday?s meeting that the problem went back about five years and involved drugs as well as alcohol.

He said: ?For the last five years we have been very concerned about the levels of alcohol and drug abuse in our village.

?We don?t want to have to move away from Bere Alston, but we do want to improve the current situation.?

The petition was passed to a committee for consideration.

West Devon mayor Richard Phillips told Mr Paddon-Hall: ?We would be equally concerned about this problem and we will do all we can to work on behalf of the parish.

?A decision will be made by the relevant committee.?