Plans to stop beer-swilling youths taking over a Thundersley park are due to be probed at a meeting tonight.

Thundersley area forum, which starts at 7.30pm at Castle Point Council offices in Kiln Road, Benfleet, is set to decide its next move in the bid to ban boozing at Common Lane Recreation Ground.

Worried residents raised the problem at previous meetings but Castle Point borough secretary, John Waugh, warned them a complete ban was not possible.

However, he said in a report that if a Designated Public Order was installed at the recreation ground, police could order a person not to drink there and confiscate their alcohol.

Mr Waugh added: "The authority must be satisfied that nuisance or annoyance to members of the public, or disorder, has been associated with the consumption of intoxicating liquour in that place."

Published Wednesday October 23, 2002

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