A SPATE of drink related offences in Westbury have fuelled fears about a summer of booze-fuelled crime in the town.

July saw 52 arrests in the town, double the amount from the previous month, with 11 made last weekend alone. According to police, at least 90 per cent of these were related to drinking.

One incident involved a group of teenagers who were caught drinking in the park. Another concerned two men who had been drinking in the street before starting a fight outside a nursing home in Leigh Road.

The arrests come a week after town councillors expressed concerns about the delay in implementing alcohol exclusion bans in the town.

Cllr Charlie Finbow said: "Alcohol exclusion zones might not stop teenagers drinking but they will allow ordinary folk to go to areas in Westbury without suffering verbal and physical abuse from people who have been drinking.

"These arrests just go to underline everything we've been saying. I think it is the beginning of things to come."

PC Sam Withey, of Westbury police, said he would welcome the new powers that would allow police to remove alcohol from people drinking in the street and causing problems.

"We do have a problem with young kids drinking on the streets and you do see people who are regular drinkers who are walking round with bags of alcohol," he said.

"With the extra powers, like we have in Warminster, we could take it away.

"Things like empty glass bottles can be used in assaults so alcohol exclusion zones can really help to prevent serious crime."

Westbury mayor Mike Hawkins said he was very disappointed with the incidents and it was now even more important to bring in alcohol exclusion zones as soon as possible.

"This obviously highlights the problem and it is one which we hope will soon be resolved by the district council," he said.

West Wiltshire District Council has said it will be addressing the issue of alcohol exclusion zones in Westbury at a cabinet meeting in September.

WPC Jo Tidmarsh, who was involved in last weekend's arrests, said: "It is vital to nip this behaviour in the bud and get rid of these drinking hot spots in the town."

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with breaching public order and assaulting a police officer and a 40-year-old man has been charged with breaching public order in connection with two separate incidents at the weekend.