CHURCHGOERS are bitter because a town centre alcohol ban has pushed street drinkers 200 yards up the road onto their doorstep.

As a result Jack Dean, secretary of the United Reformed Church in Union Street, Leigh, has called for an extension to the no-drinking zone and has appealed to Leigh MP Andy Burnham and the Town Centre Management Group for help.

He claims the displaced Library Square drinkers have moved into the church vicinity, which has had already had to cope with the consequences of drink and drug abuse for years.

He says that organisations using the church, and businesses in the area, are affected by the nuisance and as a result some groups are looking for alternative accommodation.

He said: "The church backs onto the Cenotaph gardens, and fronts the car park, which have undergone huge clean ups in order to arrest alcohol and drug abuse, in particular the discarding of syringes.

"We have had to contend with criminal behaviour, and alcohol and drug abuse and all its related offences for 20 years.

"There have been muggings, people brandishing knives and broken bottles inside our premises. We have had the building set on fire, suffered vandalism and the gardens are consistently used as a toilet.

"We are constantly finding syringes and only recently Liberal Club staff handed needles in at the police station.

"Our gardens are overgrown and since the beginning of the year we have tried to find a contractor to cut back the growth, but no-one is interested because of what they fear to find.

"Groups, including a school of dancing and Weight Watchers, who use our building do so in trepidation."

Mr Burnham said: "I sympathise with the church. What is going on there is unacceptable. My feeling is that now that we have got the ban it is working, whether it needs extending is the issue.

"We must look at the problem and consult with the police to see if blanket coverage is the right thing to do. The Library Square is certainly now a better place."

Chairman of the Town Centre Management Group, Cllr Brian Jarvis who campaigned for the original ban, said: "One or two are still drinking on the town hall square but people have been arrested and fined.

'We are more concerned about the problem of displacement to Union Street and Bradshawgate.

'I would like to reassure people that we are taking action and the situation is being monitored. It is our intention to bring in more zones."