Bowness has become a "disgraceful" mess as a result of drunken revellers discarding their bottles and cans in streets and parks, the parish council heard this week as it contemplated a ban on public drinking.

"The image Bowness presents on a Saturday night is not always a pleasant one," argued Coun Jim Morphet, as Windermere Parish Council discussed the possibility of introducing no street drinking zones similar to those already in force in Ulverston and Kendal.

The by-laws allow police to fine those caught boozing in controlled areas.

Coun Morphet's holiday conversation in Tenerife with a bus tour operator persuaded him it was time to act.

"He said he would never bring them back again to Bowness because of the state of the surrounding area rubbish, litter, bottles he thought the whole area was disgraceful," Coun Morphet told Monday's meeting.

"This is a major tourist area. This is the example we send to visitors, particularly foreign ones, on a Sunday morning who wander the streets in Bowness and still find the bottles and cans around. That is the impression we are giving to visitors and I think we should do something about it."

Coun Elizabeth Graham wanted to see a total ban on drinking in the parks.

"We have an awful lot of vandalism down at St Martin's churchyard and in the library gardens. They are drinking here late into the night it's almost a cult."

She said those who drank in the parks and streets were showing a "total lack of respect" for public space.

But Coun Lisa Greasley believed littering, not drinking, was at the heart of the problem in the parks where there were "as many Fanta bottles as there were alcoholic ones".

"If we want to deal with litter we have to go back to education," she said, stressing that public drinking bans could have unfortunate consequences.

"If you have a total ban in areas like parks that would also prevent families from having picnics outside where parents want to have a bottle of wine."

Coun Joan Stocker further warned that banning drinking in Windermere and Bowness town centres would tend to push the problem into parks and secluded spots.

Meanwhile, Coun Gill Cranwell said the by-laws were not about tackling litter but were there to "prevent crime and disorder, people roaming about the streets in crowds, drinking, making themselves unpleasant".

"Litter will be the result whatever they are drinking beer or soft pop."

The parish agreed to ask the South Lakeland Crime and Disorder Partnership a group made up of police officers, victim support groups, councillors and social workers - to investigate the impact of street drinking bans and report back to the parish council.

May 2, 2003 09:30