A petition calling for a bye-law to ban the drinking of alcohol in the streets and public open spaces of Liskeard has been presented to the town council.
The petition stemmed from concerns among a number of residents about the amount of broken glass on the streets, and vandalism, some of which may result from drunkenness.
One of the organisers said that 40 names were obtained for the petition in a very short space of time, which he stressed underlines the extent of concern about the matter.
Some weeks ago his dog badly cut its paw on broken glass on The Parade, and he is afraid this may only be one of such accidents.
He explained: 'If vandalism, fuelled by alcohol, is not stopped a small child, falling over on The Parade, could be cut and possibly scarred for life.' He is also afraid that drunkenness on The Parade on Friday and Saturday nights makes it a 'no-go area' for some - and feels that a ban on public drinking in such places could be a boon for the town.
The petition, and accompanying letter, were read out at last week's meeting of Liskeard town council. The organisers said many members were sympathetic to the content, but felt at it might take up to five years to obtain such a bye-law.
They explained, however, that they had been advised by a legal expert that the length of time involved would be around two years.
The success of such schemes in St Austell and Newquay have also been highlighted. One of the petitioners said: 'I have a friend in Newquay who said that since a ban on drinking in the street was introduced there matters have much improved. I feel that same could occur in St Austell.'