A BAN on street drinking imposed on a West Devon village last month has been given the thumbs up, following an initial settling in period.

Bere Alston was the first village in West Devon to have such a ban imposed.

It followed an extensive public consultation exercise and made it illegal to drink alcohol in certain streets, open land, and bridlepaths in the area with effect from April 1.

Sgt Dave Anning of West Devon?s Community Safety Partnership, which backed the initiative, said: ?We?ve had a review meeting and generally people seem to be really pleased with the way it?s going.

?Comments have been very positive and a number of people have mentioned how much tidier and peaceful it is, so the early signs are quite hopeful.?

Sgt Anning said the parish council has commented on the improvement in the village in terms of reduced litter, particularly a reduction in broken glass.

He said at one point, community beat officer PC Rick Hartigan did have to deal with an instance where the plastic signs advertising the alcohol ban went missing.

?After conducting enquiries, he has now spoken to five local youngsters ? all have received official police warnings after admitting their part in taking the signs down,? said Sgt Anning.

?PC Hartigan has made it clear to them and their families that any further offences will result in court action.?

He said the ?period of grace? had now passed and anyone founding consuming alcohol in a street or public place in Bere Alston faced prosecution.

But he reminded residents that local events need not be affected by the ban, as police have discretion over when to apply the power.

?For example, an event recently took place in a part of the village included in the ban. The police were advised and those attending were able to drink without causing concern.

?Sensibly, the organisers placed clear notices at all exit points, reminding people not to drink outside the grounds.?

Sgt Anning said extra police patrols had been mounted in Bere Alston since the imposition of the ban and they would be continuing to monitor the situation in the village in coming weeks.