TROUBLESOME teenagers are facing a booze ban in Anchorsholme's parks in a bid to stop rowdy and threatening behaviour.

At a meeting of Blackpool Borough Council last Wednesday (January 16) councillors unanimously supported a proposal by Anchorsholme Ward councillor Jon Bamborough to slap a ban on public drinking in Anchorsholme and Luton Road parks.

Coun Bamborough said he was "delighted" that the council recognised the "unacceptable number of teenagers and young adults congregating in the parks of Anchorsholme of an evening, consuming alcohol and leaving a trail of litter and broken glass".

He had also proposed that the council should look at defining the two parks as "public places for the purpose of police powers in relation to alcohol consumption". Coun Bamborough said after the meeting that he was "delighted" with the outcome. "Hopefully this measure will help the police to bring about some order in our parks.

"Many people are intimidated by the large gangs of youths congregating in the parks in the evenings. They leave behind a trail of broken bottles and litter."

He said the legislation will mean anyone who carries on drinking alcohol in the parks after being warned by the police will be guilty of an offence and could be liable for a fine.

"I'm not suggesting that everybody that is drinking in the parks will be stopped but when somebody is behaving badly then the police do have some powers," he said.

"This is the first step. What we need to do now is to help and encourage the youths to do something more constructive and interesting with their time.

"It is only a minority who cause trouble -- the rest are just bored and feel they have nothing to do," he said.

And he said he would "welcome views" from residents and youngsters on what could be done to stop local youths getting bored.

The move was welcomed by police. Sergeant Paul Webb of Bispham Police Station said: "Initially when the confiscating of alcohol from young persons was brought in it was to stop drinking in the street, but it had to be in public open spaces and we could only dispose of any liquid but not confiscate it.

"Now that the parks are being designated public places it means we can exercise that power. Now we can actually confiscate an open container. It gives us a bit more scope."