It is ‘likely that no fines have been issued’ for public drinking two months after a ban came in, Slough Borough Council has said – amid confusion over who is responsible.

The council introduced a public drinking ban across the whole borough on July 5. But almost two months later neither Slough Borough Council nor the police could say whether anyone had been fined.

A spokesperson for Slough Borough Council said Thames Valley Police (TVP) officers ‘are the only one able to issue fines at the moment’. But they said it was ‘likely they haven’t issued any fines’ after the force said it had no figures available.

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The Observer first contacted Slough Borough Council on August 12 asking how many fines had been issued for public drinking after the ban came into force.

The council replied that the question would need to be put to Thames Valley Police ‘as currently they are the ones able to issue the fines’.

Slough BID – the organisation representing town centre businesses – said its wardens were yet to receive the required training before they could hand out fines.

But it said it understood Thames Valley Police had been ‘very active on addressing street drinking throughout the borough from the start of the ban being in place’.

When the LDRS asked TVP the same question on August 12, a spokesperson said the figures could only be obtained through a freedom of information request.

TVP eventually responded to a freedom of information request on August 29 but only to ‘confirm no information is held’ – pointing the finger back at Slough Borough Council.

The response said: “Thames Valley Police only assist with enforcing these; these sit with the local authority as they are a local authority order.”

The Observer contacted TVP and Slough Borough Council again for clarity on who is responsible for issuing fines.

A TVP spokesperson replied that the ban ‘is a Slough Borough Council initiative so they should be able to answer the majority of your questions’.

Meanwhile the council said TVP was ‘correct in saying they are assisting in enforcing’. But they added: “As said before, they are the only ones able to issue fines for this at the moment. It is likely they haven’t issued any fines and therefore had nothing to share.”

Both TVP and Slough Borough Council said they couldn’t answer further questions until later this week as their staff members responsible for the ban were away.

Slough Borough Council introduced the ban as a public spaces protection order. Under the ban ‘the consumption of alcohol or being in possession of an open container that is reasonably believed to contain alcohol’ is prohibited.

It is also an offence to stop drinking alcohol or to refuse to hand alcohol over to police or authorised officers when asked. Council plans said the ban would be ‘enforced by the police’.

In a meeting in June council leader Dexter Smith said police and Slough BID wardens would apply the ban ‘with discretion’.