THE fight against booze-fuelled crime in Westbury has suffered another blow with the news alcohol exclusion zones will not be launched in the town.

West Wiltshire District Council said there were not enough drink-related offences in the town to warrant the zones, but town councillors disagree. Cllr Charlie Finbow said: "I think it's an awful shame when Warminster and Trowbridge have zones. We do have a problem in the town but they don't see fit to grant it.

"Now we've got to work with the district council and the police to make the best of what I feel personally is a bit of a rough deal."

The town council, which first applied for exclusion zones in December 2004, worked for months gathering information to give the district council.

These figures were misplaced, so another study was carried out over the last six months which found only nine offences would have been prevented by alcohol exclusion zones.

Council officers decided this was not a high enough figure to warrant applying to the Home Office for the exclusion zones.

Westbury mayor Mike Hawkins, pictured, who was behind the campaign for alcohol exclusion zones in the town, said: "I'm disappointed but unfortunately we have to go by the law. It is important that anybody in Westbury who sees any incident of people drinking in the street reports it to the police."

The district council's community safety partnership and the police are now working with the town council to find other ways to deal with any problems. Louise Knox, for the district council, said: "It's not just looking at all incidents involving alcohol but those which are not potentially covered by existing legislation but would be by an exclusion zone.

"While there is a problem in Westbury the vast majority of instances are of noise, criminal damage or assault which are covered by other police enforcements."

  • Changes to CCTV coverage in the town will see a new camera at the top of Haynes Road and the camera outside the Ludlow Arms being moved into Market Square.