TAVISTOCK licensees have renewed their call to have drinking banned in parts of the town following reports of a recent increase in alcohol-fuelled vandalism.

Kevan Elliott, secretary of the Licensees' Trade Association, said there were a number of separate problems in Tavistock associated with drunkenness.

The police already had adequate powers to deal with youngsters drinking in places like the Meadows, he said, and the vandalism associated with people heading away from the town's late night entertainment spots was also a matter for the police. But there was a problem with people leaving pubs and heading off to night clubs with glasses and bottles, which, he said, often ended up in people's gardens.

The association has approached the town council with the suggestion that a by-law is introduced to stop revellers drinking in places like West Street, Russell Street, Brook Street, Plymouth Road and Bedford Square.

'We have talked to the police in Totnes and Dartmouth, where they have such a scheme and it seems to work very well,' said Mr Elliott.

Town clerk Roger Howard said Tavistock Town Council had been all the way through this loop at the end of 2000 and saw no point revisiting it, unless the police came out in support.

'We asked all sorts of people including the police and other town councils. The police did not support it — they said they didn't have the man-power — and the other councils' experiences were that it was impossible to draft the legislation correctly and impossible to enforce,' he said.

The support of the borough council was also felt to be vital, but Mr Howard said West Devon was not in favour.

Inspector Nick Rogers, of Tavistock police, said: 'I would encourage any pubs and clubs to take responsibility for their customers. Door staff could stem the number of people leaving with glasses and bottles, and, of course, anybody leaving premises with glasses is committing theft, strictly speaking, and that will be enforced.'

It has also been reported this week that the Home Office is considering measures to shift more responsibility for customers' behaviour onto the licensed premises themselves.

Inspector Rogers said he would support a ban if there were a need, but he did not feel it would solve the problems of vandalism.

He confirmed there had been a campaign over the past few weeks to reduce the number of youngsters drinking, especially in the Meadows, which had resulted in a number of arrests and the confiscation of drink.

Concerning the problem of late-night vandalism, the inspector said they had extra officers on foot patrol in the town, including plain clothes officers from the Tactical Aid Group and Special Constables.

'There are quite a few more officers on duty patrolling the town to tackle these problems,' he said.