STREET drinking in areas of Rossendale could be banned -- but not until councillors have more information.

A petition was handed in from residents in Haslingden asking for a by-law to be introduced at a meeting of the Rossendale Community Safety Partnership.

Further representations from Coun Janet O'Driscoll about problems in Rawtenstall were also reported.

Committee chairman Coun Nick Pilling said: "The police are going to help to put some facts and figures together so we can examine the problem.

"As soon as that is known we will be in a better position to look at what is going to be the best way forward.

"We don't have to introduce a by-law because under the new Crime and Disorder Act we can introduce alcohol exclusion zones and the police said they would enforce these."

The petition, which was sent by Margaret Sedgewick who lives in Haslingden town centre, was signed by 60 residents.

They were calling for action to be taken to ban drinking alcohol in public so that the residents have a cleaner, safer and less dangerous environment and broken glass would be eradicated from the area.

Coun Pilling said: "We first need to identify the problem areas if we are going to introduce anything like this and it would be easier to police if we were targeting areas."

He said there would also have to be exceptions like Rossendale Valley Motorbike Show, on September 23, and the Britannia Coconutters traditional Easter march from pub to pub in Bacup and Stacksteads.

He added: "The message we want to get across is that it is being fairly looked as and as soon as we know the extent of the problem we will give the appropriate advice to the local authority."