NEW alcohol bylaws could allow police officers to stop people drinking in any public place in Wirral.

Cabinet members will discuss turning the entire borough into one giant "designated area" when they meet at Wallasey Town Hall on Thursday.

It would give police officers the power to confiscate any alcohol in a person's possession - those who fail to comply will be committing an offence and could face a fixed penalty or fine of up to £500.

Cllr George Davies, cabinet member for housing and community safety, said that the borough needs "blanket cover" in light of alarming binge-drinking figures released this week.

The move comes under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and will cost over £25,000 to implement.

Designated areas are already in place in parts of Hoylake, Moreton, Leasowe, Birkenhead, West Kirby, Woodchurch, New Brighton and Wallasey.

And officers already have the power to seize alcohol from people under 18, which apply everywhere in England and Wales.

A report by Wirral Council's deputy chief executive Jim Wilkie said that the provisions of the act were brought in after "no alcohol" bylaws lapsed in parts of Bikenhead and New Brighton last year.

It says: "A public place is one to which the public generally have access, with or without payment.

"An area can be designated if the authority is satisfied that nuisance or disorder has occurred in that area connected to the consumption of alcohol.

"The designation of the entire borough would increase the powers available to the police to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol use."

The report also acknowledges that taking away alcohol belonging to a person is an interference with their human rights, but states that the interference would be "justified and proportionate to improve the general environment for everyone."

Cabinet member for the environment Gill Gardiner said there is "pressure from all sides" to endorse the scheme which is heavily backed by the police and Wirral PCT.

She said: "The licensing department has already made their decision but it is up to the cabinet to find the funding.

"I just hope that the police will only enforce their powers in extreme circumstances instead of targeting families who might enjoy a bottle of wine with a picnic and are not causing any harm."

But Cllr George Davies, cabinet member for housing and community safety, said that the borough needs "blanket cover" in light of alarming binge-drinking figures released this week.

"The whole alcohol issue at the moment is an absolute farce - one side of the road is a designated area while the other side isn't," he said.

"We are not trying to put a block on people enjoying themselves we just want to prevent drink problems from spilling out into the streets - already Wirral has some shocking binge-drinking statistics so we need to protect our communities."

The council report states that the scheme would cost £25,750 and includes Land Registry fees as well as fees for statutory notices and signage.

Cllr Davies said that discussions are in place for a joint funding arrangement between the council, the police and the PCT.

Wirral Council will liaise with Merseyside Police before any changes are made.

Alcohol harm third highest in the region

Wirral has the third highest alcohol-related hospital admissions for under 18s in the north west, according to a new report.

The borough is also second in the regional charts for the number of alcohol-specific admissions for females, writes Justin Dunn.

Those living in relatively affluent areas of England are more likely to be consuming "hazardous" levels of alcohol than poorer neighbours, the Liverpool John Moores University study says.

The report found "harmful" levels - above 50 units - highest in poorer areas, although affluent Runnymede in Surrey has the highest "hazardous" drinking levels in the UK.

The university's North West Public Health Observatory collected the alcohol profiles for every local authority in England. Liverpool had the highest rate per 100,000 for alcohol attributable hospital admissions for men and women, according to the figures.

But in the north west Wirral came second for alcohol-related hospital admissions for women, and third in both admissions for males generally and for under 18s.

Professor Mark Bellis, who directed the study, said: "In order to stop further increases in alcohol-related deaths and admission to hospital, we must also reverse the tolerance that most communities have built up by simply consuming too much alcohol on a weekly basis."

The Government says a new national priority for the NHS will be to reduce the rate of hospital admissions of alcohol-related conditions.