Charter could tackle Worthing street drinking issue

Diane Guest, Paul Yallop and Vino Vinojan

CORNER shops will be urged to sign a voluntary charter to stop selling alcohol to street drinkers in a bid to cut antisocial behaviour in the town centre.

‘Enough is enough’ is the message of a group of concerned traders and councillors who want shops to agree to cut the supply of alcohol to ‘vulnerable’ people.

A council report revealed a core group of around 30 street drinkers had been arrested over 1600 times in recent years for various crimes.

Chair of Pubwatch Diane Guest and Central councillor Vino Vinojan will begin visiting businesses this week to talk to them about the initiative.

Mrs Guest said: “Enough is enough, and the street drinkers have got to go. The effect they can have is devastating.

“I understand how difficult it is to say no to money going in the till but sometimes you have to say no to one particular type of customer to encourage others in.”

The initiative would not work like Pubwatch, where photos of troublemakers are available to door staff, but would instead see shop owners joining together in a show of solidarity against the problem.

Among the concerns of the group is allegations shops are selling single cans of high-strength alcohol and offering buy now, pay later deals.

For the full story, see the Herald, out Thursday, March 13.