Public alcohol ban for borough approved

The ban will be enforced in Slough from 1 July

A plan to ban drinking alcohol in all public places across Slough has been approved.

The public space protection order (PSPO) will prohibit consuming alcohol or having an "open container" that is "reasonably believed" to contain alcohol in public places.

Slough Borough Council said 93% of respondents to a consultation held earlier this year were in favour .

The authority’s cabinet approved the three-year order, which will come into force on 1 July, on Monday.

A resident told the consultation, which ran from mid-January to mid-February, that they had seen street drinkers “urinate and defecate...in full view of [the] public”.

Another said they were causing trouble on "practically every street corner".

The authority said the PSPO will be a key tool to stop anti-social behaviour in the borough.

Slough previously had a PSPO banning public drinking between 2017 and 2020 but only in certain areas.

The authority suggested that led to public drinkers moving to places where the ban was not in force.

Anyone who breaks the PSPO could be issued with a £100 fine and convicted of a criminal offence if they do not pay it.