ALCOHOL is to be banned from the streets of Burnley town centre and the roads leading up to Turf Moor in a bid to crack down on violent assaults.

Members of Burnley Council executive were presented with a report highlighting a rise in violent crime during a meeting last night.

The group was told: "There is 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."

The report also stated that if a no drinking zone was introduced, opportunities for violent offences involving weapons will be reduced.

New legislation under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, which came into effect last October, means that local authorities now have the power to restrict the consumption of alcohol in designated public areas.

The move has the full backing of Burnley's town centre policing unit who have indicated to the council that the number of violent crimes have increased significantly over the past year.

Inspector Geoff Brown said: "One of the issues we are looking at is making the town centre a safer place and part of that process should involve making the town centre a no drinking zones.

"It is a move to prevent any assaults with glass of which we have had a few nasty ones over the past few months."

Councillor Charles Bullas, executive member for public protection and community safety, said: "We have a growing and increasing problem within the town centre.

"We want to eliminate this and we feel that with the summer months coming up and the World Cup, we want to give the police our full support.

"And if we get the statistics to prove that it has been successful and that it is needed it will be extended to other parts of the town."