A NEW-style drinking ban could be slapped on Church Green in a drastic bid to clean up the area.

Police officers and community support officers could be given the powers to confiscate alcohol from anyone seen drinking around St Stephen's Church and the bandstand.

People are already prohibited from drinking in the area by a local bylaw but this expires in September and is expected to be replaced with this new ban.

Community leaders are welcoming the new-style ban which is being proposed by Redditch Council's antisocial behaviour team after a series of reports of drink-related incidents.

Redditch beat bobby Pc Kate Johnson said: "This is a positive thing. We do not want any drinking in the town, especially around the Church Green area. Anything that can be done to stop it, we will support."

Meanwhile, Conservative group leader Carole Gandy, who used to work at Smallwood House off Church Green, said she also supported the plans.

"When I worked at Smallwood House, I had quite a good view of the Church Green area, particularly around the bandstand, and there were a number of people there at the start of the day and at the end of the day drinking excessive amounts of alcohol." she said.

"Church Green is a conservation area and a particularly attractive part of town, so anything we can do to improve that, I will welcome."

However, she added it seemed a shame drinking would be banned entirely because some of the pedestrianised parts of Church Green would be ideal for outdoor bars and cafes during the summer.

"It would be really nice to have some places to sit outside and have a drink during the summer, like they do on the continent," she said.

The antisocial behaviour team has written to 45 of the businesses on the green asking for their thoughts on the proposals.

And anyone else wishing to comment can call the team on 534194 or write to them at Redditch Town Hall, Alcester Street.

Meanwhile, at the weekend, police handed out a series of fixed penalty notices to residents believed to have consumed excessive amounts of alcohol.

A police spokesman said: "This shows we will not tolerate this behaviour, which is an important message as the World Cup coverage is about to start."