IT seems money given to Blackburn with Darwen Council to improve the quality of life in the borough may finally help solve the problem of the Boulevard drinkers.

And not before time.

However, it is a shame that the uniformed managers may not spending their time advising passengers and creating a welcoming environment for people arriving at the gateway to Blackburn.

Instead they may well be shepherding drunks away from the bus station and the entrance to the Cathedral - and alerting the police to this perennial problem.

Church leaders, shoppers and traders have long-complained about the drinkers and the nuisance they create - sometimes without committing an obvious criminal offence.

The events of the last few weeks have proved that, despite the ban on town centre street drinking, police have still not got a firm enough grip on the problem.

But if these managers are to be their eyes and ears on the Boulevard on the occasions when they can't be there, they must respond quickly and decisively every time the alarm is raised, move on or arrest the trouble makers and stay on the scene to prevent problems recurring.

Otherwise we may soon be reporting incidents where the new staff are being abused and harassed rather than them helping to solve the problem.