ALCOHOL sellers have agreed to stop offering super-strength beer and cider to reduce street drinking in Weymouth.

Reducing the Strength encourages licensed premises to stop selling cheap beer and cider with an alcohol volume of more than 6.5 per cent.

It aims to tackle street drinking in Weymouth and help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour after there were 385 alcohol-related anti-social behaviour incidents in the town centre between July 2012 and July 2013.

Jay Naguleswaran Jayasuthan, owner of Eats & Drinks in King Street, has joined the campaign.

He said: “I wanted to take part to help relieve the crime in town, in this area there is a bit of a problem with anti-social behaviour.

“People who buy this sort of drink often come back and cause trouble or try to shoplift. I would urge other premises to sign up because my concern is that unless all the shops and off-licences take part then it won’t work.”

The campaign, a joint project between Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Dorset Police, Public Health Dorset and Dorset County Council’s trading standards service, is initially being run across Weymouth Town Centre and Abbotsbury Road.

Councillor Geoff Petherick, spokesman for community safety at the borough council, said: “Street drinking and the anti-social behaviour that surrounds it is an issue we want to tackle in Weymouth.

“We want to deal with the problem at the source by encouraging licensees to voluntarily remove all super strength beer and cider.”

Bon Bon, Mace, Derby Stores, Eats & Drinks, Lennox Street Store, Lodmoor Hill Post Office and Beals Newsagent have also signed up.

Local drug and alcohol agencies will also be working with street drinkers to ensure they get appropriate treatment and support.

For information about Reduce the Strength call 01305 226863.