POLICE and community leaders today welcomed news that a ban on drinking alcohol in the streets of Burnley town centre could be in place as soon as Easter.

Plans to turn the town centre into a no-drinking zone are expected to be given the green light by councillors tomorrow.

And the ban could be extended to other areas of the town later in the year if it proves to be a success in cutting alcohol-related violence.

The ban will make it a criminal offence to drink from bottles and glasses outside licensed premises and will come into force from Thursday, April 17, the day before Good Friday.

A drinking ban has been on the cards since last year although councillors and police redoubled their efforts to introduce it following the death of teenage football supporter Nathan Shaw.

Mr Shaw, 17, from Nottingham, died of head injuries after trouble broke out between two groups of supporters close to Yates's Wine Lodge in St James Street, Burnley, in December last year.

Burnley Police Inspector Dave Croll said: "A lot of work has been done in recent years to try and reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents in the town centre and this is another initiative aimed at preventing anti-social behaviour and nuisance caused by drink."

Burnley MP Peter Pike said: "I'm glad to see that the council is considering extending the scheme, which I welcome, as people should be able to walk around the town centre without being intimidated by people standing around drinking."

Burnley Council leader Stuart Caddy said: "I fully support this scheme and we will be looking at how other authorities have operated their initiatives to make sure we get it right."

Steve Heys, of Burnley Council's community safety department, said: "The ban will come into force in the town centre on the day before Good Friday. A working group will also be set up to look at the scheme and the possibility of it being introduced in other areas in the future."

According to a recent council report, there are a "significant amount of alcohol-related assaults within Burnley town centre and on numerous occasions the assaults involve the use of glasses and bottles as weapons."

It adds that if a no drinking zone is introduced, "the opportunities for violent offences involving weapons will be significantly reduced".

Andrew McNee, 18, of Osborne Way, Haslingden, is in custody charged with murder following the death of Mr Shaw.