THE encouraging results of a ban on drinking in town-centre streets -- a 50 per cent drop in crimes involving the use of bottles and glasses as weapons - surely suggests this scheme deserves to be extended.

These welcome effects are reported from Accrington where the ban was brought in last July to stop people taking glasses and bottles from bar to bar. Since then, there have been only five incidents in which they have been used, half the number of the same period last year.

Accrington's establishment of a no-alcohol zone in the town centre follows that successfully introduced in Blackburn eight months ago. And while Blackburn has since seem some daytime flouting of the ban by alcoholics, its effect in reducing the numbers of glasses and bottles being carried about the streets at night was quickly seen, when just one violation was reported in the first three months.

Not only does this measure, made available to councils a year ago under new legislation, have an evident impact on reducing the number of horrible and potentially-lethal 'glassing' attacks, it also reduces further drinking after pubs and clubs have shut, so diminishing the potential for late-night alcohol-related violence and disorder.

With these benefits now apparent, the spread of them elsewhere in East Lancashire will be welcomed by law-abiding citizens. While moves are afoot for Clitheroe and Darwen town centres and even some of Blackburn's housing estates to become 'no alcohol' zones, other areas surely need to be included.

For while Burnley floated proposals months ago for a street-drinking ban in its town centre and the approaches to Turf Moor, it has still to implement action. And even though the Burnley Against Night-time Disorder initiative, introduced more than a year ago to bring in lengthy pub bans on drinkers causing disorder or damage, has attracted praise, the council has still reported 'significant' amounts of alcohol-related assaults, with the use of glasses and bottles on 'numerous occasions'.

This surely implies that it is time that Burnley and other of our towns joined in and took up this potent weapon against drunken and violent yobs.