AN ORDER which gave police greater powers to tackle street drinking in Swanage will be rescinded, district councillors have agreed.

Purbeck District Council members voted in favour of removing the existing Designated Public Places Order (DPPO), covering the town centre, at meeting.

This order, which was implemented in 2012, came into force at a time when residents had been complaining of street drinking and associated antisocial behaviour.

A DPPO gave police discretionary powers to confiscate alcohol being consumed in public places.

However, a report to councillors from PDC officers, confirmed use of the DPPO had 'dramatically dropped' due to new powers that became available under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The report also recommended councillors did not opt to replace the DPPO with a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), a type of order which came into existence in 2014.

The report to PDC stated: "A range of stakeholders have been consulted as part of the comprehensive review.

"Evidence from Dorset Police shows the DPPO has only been used once since 2012 and they report they no longer need the powers made available to them under the DPPO due to other powers being made available under newer legislation.

"Each premises license holder, club premises certificate holder or other premises users within the designated area were written to individually and given the opportunity to discuss the proposal at the May meeting of Swanage Pub Watch. No responses were received."

Swanage Town Council was consulted on the DPPO, and resolved unanimously to support its removal.

There was also been a 12-week online consultation which prompted just three responses - two of these requesting the existing order to be replaced with a PSPO.