Drinking in public could soon be banned across the whole of Slough under plans to stamp out ‘disgraceful’ antisocial behaviour – after people complained of drinkers defecating in the street.

Slough Borough Council leaders look set to approve the ban on Monday, June 17 in the form of a ‘public space protection order’ (PSPO). Residents who responded to a council consultation on the plans said the ban is needed to stop antisocial behaviour ‘at any cost.’

One person said: “Not nice to see people drinking on streets. Makes me feel un-safe. They urinate and defecate on street in full view of public. Not what I want to view or for my children to witness. Disgusting.”

Another said: “People drink on practically every street corner and throw/ discard their cans, bottles and other rubbish/litter on the streets, in people’s gardens and in park and streams. It is absolutely disgraceful and people really don’t care. I would love you to implement this.”

Council plans say that without the ban it is ‘inevitable’ that antisocial behaviour will continue.

The plans say: “Without a borough wide PSPO, it is considered inevitable that the behaviours that need to be addressed will persist causing harm to the area, the community’s confidence in the authorities tasked to protect them from such anti social behaviour and the potential loss of confidence in using the defined public space for their lawful business or recreation.”

Under the proposed new rules ‘the consumption of alcohol or being in possession of an open container that is reasonably believed to contain alcohol’ would be prohibited.

It would also be an offence to stop drinking alcohol or to refuse to hand alcohol over to police or authorised officers when asked.

People who break the order could be issued a fine of £100 – or even convicted of a criminal offence if they fail to pay.

According to council plans, there is ‘significant’ support for a borough-wide public drinking ban, based on complaints made to the council and the police.

Some 93 per cent of people who responded to the consultation on the proposed ban earlier this year also said they were in favour.

The plans also say that public drinking has ‘had a detrimental effect on the quality of life’ of Slough’s residents.

Officers say they considered whether the ban should only be applied in certain wards of the borough. But they say that public drinking impacts the whole of the town.

A previous PSPO banned public drinking between 2017 and 2020 – but only in certain areas. The council plans suggest this led to public drinkers moving to places where the ban wasn’t in force.

Plans also they say such a move may also ‘prove confusing to the public and those officers expected to enforce this PSPO.’

Slough Borough Council’s cabinet – its group of leading councillors – are set to debate and vote on whether to bring in the ban on Monday. Council officers are recommending that they approve it, making it likely that the ban will go ahead.