A BLANDFORD police officer has called for new powers to control drinking on the town's streets.

PC Simon Evans made the plea to town councillors, telling them a Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) would help close a loophole.

"This allows us to decide who should be drinking in the street and who shouldn't," said PC Evans.

Officers and PCSOs needed the power to confiscate alcohol from groups of youths where only one was old enough to have bought the booze, he added.

A total ban would be inappropriate, said PC Evans, with events like the Georgian Fayre and picnicking families at the Marsh and Ham, both examples of responsible drinking.

Underage drinkers had been dispersed from areas including the Larksmead recreation ground and the skate park, said PC Evans, but he was now concerned that the problem had been driven to the town centre.

Discussions with North Dorset District Council had revealed that Blandford Town Council would have to pay for press and street notices advertising proposals for the zone, said PC Evans.

Cllr Rosemary Holmes told the meeting the council had investigated the possibility of no-go zones for drinking for many years.

"We've wanted happy hours stopped and anything that encourages children or teenagers to drink. Wimborne is a non-drinking area and is a lovely place to shop," said Cllr Holmes.

But Cllr Lynn Lindsay urged caution, arguing that as a regular visitor to the town, she hadn't noticed a wide-scale drinking problem.

Committee chairman Cllr Isabel Rose said greater consideration of PC Evans' suggestion was needed.

The next meeting of Blandford's PACT panel in October would be a good opportunity to test public opinion on controlled drinking zones, said Cllr Rose.