Council signage used to reinforce booze ban

Derry City Council have erected signage across the city to help enforce new legislation which bans drinking in public.

The new alcohol bye-law means the city council can prosecute offending drinkers reported by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), as well as issuing a maximum fine of £500.

The signs, which state that it is an offence to drink alcohol in a public place, warn boozers of the fine they could face, if caught breaking the bye-law. The signs have been erected in council parks and other areas which are particularly prone to people drinking alcohol in the streets. They have also been put up in areas renown for anti social behaviour.

Damien Mc Mahon, the City Secretary and Solicitor for Derry City Council, told the Londonderry Sentinel: “This new by-law has greatly increased the number of designated streets and public places in the Derry City Council local government district where the consumption of alcohol is prohibited.

“This legislation forms part of our work to reduce on-street and underage drinking. The relationship between on-street drinking and anti-social behaviour is well established and the result of such incidents can be devastating not only for individuals but for the entire community and city in general,” he added.

New legislation was also introduced earlier this year in an attempt to tackle underage drinking in the area. Underage drinkers can now be prosecuted if they are persistently found to be possessing or consuming alcohol in a public place.

New powers allow the PSNI to confiscate all alcohol regardless of whether the container is open from young people and those under 16 years of age, who can also be taken home by police if it is suspected that they have been drinking.