New rules on drinking in crackdown

A TWO-pronged attack on drinking outside pubs and nuisance drinkers has been launched by city leaders in Edinburgh.

Strict new licensing rules will mean that customers will be banned from taking alcohol on to the street after 11pm.

And a city-wide bylaw which gives police powers to arrest those drinking in public places at any time of the day is to be used to crack down on anti- social behaviour.

The moves, expected to be in place within weeks, are primarily aimed at tackling the spiralling number of complaints about noise outside pubs and clubs in the wake of the smoking ban. However, they will not apply to beer gardens and other private outdoor areas attached to licensed premises.

The new outdoor public drinking bylaw, which it is hoped will be in place before Christmas, will give police widespread powers to arrest rowdy drinkers. Those arrested will face fines of up to 500.

At present it is left to individual managers to set the rules on whether drinks are allowed to be taken outside.

Although some places have introduced new rules in the wake of the smoking ban, large crowds can be seen outside many bars and nightspots. The council and the city's licensing board are looking at making it a condition of all premises licensed after 11pm that customers are banned from taking their drinks on to the streets.

Senior councillors and officials believe the bylaws will give the city vital tools to help it cope with a rising tide of complaints from people living near licensed premises.

A spokeswoman for the city's licensing section said: "The licensing board will be asked in the near future to consider amending the existing conditions attached to premises with regular extensions of hours, to prevent drink being taken outside the premises for consumption after 11pm. Such a condition cannot by law be imposed for earlier in the day and that is why the bylaw is necessary."

But the council has been against a blanket ban amid fears for the city's tourism image.

City licensing leader Phil Attridge said: "We didn't want to go down the same road as Glasgow, where the offence is committed as soon as you drink outside, but this bylaw should help tackle some of the problems without the need for a blanket ban."

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "We would welcome additional powers to help address anti-social behaviour and would actively take enforcement action where required in response to any complaints made by the public."