A SCHEME to crack down on drink-fuelled disorder is to go ahead.

Members of Hambleton Council's cabinet agreed to bring in special orders to give police the power to take action against people drinking in public places.

Three areas are to be targeted - the Bullamoor Park and Applegarth areas of Northallerton and High Green in Great Ayton. Drinking of alcohol will be banned from the sites in a bid to bring anti-social behaviour under control.

Last week's decision follows concerns raised by police backed up by evidence gained from the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership.

Asking for the cabinet's approval of the scheme, Coun Ralph Andrew said this was the first action of its kind in the area to deal with disorder problems.

"We have been asked to designate these areas so police can enforce the rules on under-age drinking," he said.

"It will help the local community enormously as they have been suffering huge problems connected with drink-related disorder."

In a five-month period, police identified 27 incidents in the Applegarth and eight more in Bullamoor Park.

During the same period, there were 21 incidents of nuisance and anti-social behaviour at the Great Ayton site. Six were directly linked to drinking.

The council's financial services director, Philip Morton, said: "Police have been constantly called to incidents in these three areas.

"Youths often gather there in large numbers and drink openly within sight of residents and visitors."

Police say they have already used existing powers to confiscate alcohol from under-18s they find drinking.

But after the catalogue of complaints, the force formally asked for the three sites to be designated under the 2001 Criminal Justice and Police Act.

A police spokesman said: "This legislation is untried and we do not know what effect designating these areas will have. It may well be a deterrent."

The scheme will cost about £5,000 to set up, including the cost of advertising and signage.