A SINGER who wants to rid the riverside of drinking, litter and anti-social behaviour has collected 250 signatures of support.

Jamie Knight now plans to hand his booze ban petition to Worcester City Council after going from house to house over the summer in a bid to get backing.

Since we reported his campaign on the front page of the Worcester News in June, the 32-year-old, of Comer Road, St John's, has been on a mission to collect as many signatures as possible to help make the riverside a no-alcohol zone.

He said: "I've been out in the summer heat with my six-month old son, Frankie, knocking on doors all around St John's asking people to sign the petition.

"It was a lot of hard work, particularly being a full-time father, because I've had to take my son out with me.

"This is something I really believe in, and so does everyone else in the area, given the support I have had - it's been excellent.

"People really responded to it. Something desperately needs to be done - there's still been rubbish, cans of alcohol and anti-social behaviour down at the riverside, even in these last few weeks."

He started his quest after finding out a drinking ban in existence on one side of the river ends once people cross Sabrina Bridge to the Hylton Road side.

Mr Knight, a well-known singer in city clubs and pubs, will now pass the petition on to ward councillor and Worcester Mayor Ian Imray, who will bring it before the full council at the start of October.

The chance of a non-alcohol zone coming into place depends on the council and police endorsing the petition as evidence that drinking needs to be banned.

However, Coun Imray believes the ban is necessary.

He said: "I'll put this forward at the next council meeting, and although petitions only carry a certain amount of weight, I look forward to helping get the ban up and running, because we do need it down there."

A spokesman for Worcester Police said: "Any matter passed on to us in the form of a petition will be taken into consideration, along with incidents of anti-social behaviour we might have found ourselves."