AN ALCOHOL ban for Royston town centre and Priory Memorial Gardens was due to be approved last night (Wednesday). Members of North Herts District Council were set to vote on the measures, which if approved ,will be in place within two months. The recommen

AN ALCOHOL ban for Royston town centre and Priory Memorial Gardens was due to be approved last night (Wednesday). Members of North Herts District Council were set to vote on the measures, which if approved ,will be in place within two months. The recommendation was that the ban should cover an initial period of two years, after which it would be reviewed. The ban will cost £1,720 to implement, which includes installing 20 signs and funding to advertise the ban. These funds will be raised through budget savings. A district council spokesman said: "The establishment of an alcohol-free zone will reduce the impact of anti-social behaviour through drinking in Royston town centre, and particularly the Priory Memorial Gardens." The move comes after a public consultation in which not a single voice was raised in opposition to an alcohol free zone. The proposals for the ban initially came about after the area was plagued with anti-social behaviour last year. Over 12 months Royston police recorded 123 alcohol-related incidents in the area - an average of one every three days. The problem was particularly bad on Friday and Saturday nights in the Priory Memorial Gardens, when the number of empty alcohol cans and bottles increased.