LAGER louts and winos are turning a shoppers' rest area into a boozers' beach party, it has been claimed.

The drinkers are buying booze at local off-licences and spending the day sunbathing and partying round a bench that was put up at the bottom of Bank Street, Rawtenstall, to provide somewhere for shoppers to sit.

Sean Cosgrove, who owns a domestic appliance shop, said: "This bench seems to be a favourite meeting place because it's in a nice sunny corner.

"The seat was put there for people to have a rest and take in the ambience of Rawtenstall.

"Unfortunately these people have capitalised on it. It's definitely now a sunbathing and drinking place."

Mr Cosgrove told a meeting of the Valley Chamber of Commerce that the problem was now spreading to the shopping precinct where the boozers were terrorising shoppers by begging for money for a cup of tea.

He said: "A bobby on the beat would have a lot more effect than any amount of police cars going by."

Inspector Paul Robinson said he had written to owners of off-licences and the nearby betting shop asking for their assistance in keeping drunkenness off the streets.

He said: "Every opportunity is taken for a town centre foot patrol officer to be deployed in Rawtenstall and Haslingden, but I won't pretend that I've got one for every day."

Inspector Robinson added that officers should be available now that Group Four Security were taking prisoners to and from court.

He added: "I don't think it's satisfactory for people just to be moved on.

"If they are drunk I want their names to be recorded. If necessary I want them to be reported for being drunk in a public place."

He urged shopkeepers not to confront the drunks but to notify the police station.

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