Peterborough's top cop says police committed to tackling street drinking issues in city centre

Peterborough’s top cop has said the police are committed to tackling issues around street drinking in the city centre – after MP Paul Bristow called for action to make the city more welcoming.

Writing in his weekly column in the Peterborough Telegraph, Mr Bristow said: “I am fed up of the group of street drinkers usurping the benches in Cathedral Square.

“They are there in the afternoon, when families are out with their children. They are still there in the evening, when people are using the restaurants. They were back again, mid-morning, when I was at meeting in a local coffee shop.

“Worse, they seem to be permanently intoxicated. It is unacceptable for them to drag Peterborough down in this way, making our central space unpleasant for everyone else.”

He added; “By ending this antisocial, Cathedral Square lifestyle, our city becomes a better place and some, at least, may get the jolt they need to get on a better path. Support is available.”

"We will be working hard to tackle this problem over coming months”

Now Superintendent Neil Billany Cambridgeshire Police’s area commander for Peterborough and Fenland, has said the force is ‘committed’ to tackling the issue.

He said: “I am committed to working with Peterborough City Council and MP Paul Bristow to make the city centre a safer environment for both businesses and members of the public to visit and enjoy.

“We patrol the area regularly, taking action against criminal and anti-social behaviour and reporting breaches of the public spaces protection order (PSPO) to the council.

“With the current demand on policing, we have to prioritise the most serious incidents and issues that cause the most harm. So we can’t be everywhere, but we are committed to tackling the small minority of people involved in excessive drinking, shouting and swearing, and general anti-social behaviour.

“My officers had a positive meeting with the council and Mr Bristow and we will be working hard to tackle this problem over coming months.”

"The anti-social behaviour and street drinking that we encounter is no different to other towns and cities"

Deputy leader of Peterborough City Council and Cabinet Member for Communication, Culture and Communities, Cllr Steve Allen, also said: "We are proud of our city centre and how we have developed and enhanced it in recent years. This is why we introduced a public space protection order to be able to address ASB and poor behaviour and maintain a safe and pleasant environment for all to enjoy.

"The anti-social behaviour and street drinking that we encounter is no different to many other towns and cities, but we agree with our MP that we must continue our focus on tackling them.

"This week we had a productive meeting with Cambridgeshire Police about how we can work together more effectively to manage the situation. We are developing plans to expand the Council's Enforcement team and have asked the Police to support this by increasing Police visibility and by enforcing the Public Space Protection Order"