THE booze ban in Royston has been given the go-ahead and will be introduced in about two months. Members of North Hertfordshire District Council approved the scheme, which will see an alcohol ban in the High Street and the nearby Priory Memorial Gardens

THE booze ban in Royston has been given the go-ahead - and will be introduced in about two months. Members of North Hertfordshire District Council approved the scheme, which will see an alcohol ban in the High Street and the nearby Priory Memorial Gardens. The ban has been introduced after complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour and vandalism. Police reported that during the summer months there had been a growing number of alcohol-related problems, especially in the Priory Memorial Gardens. The booze ban proposal was backed by the town's Conservative councillors, but Royston's one Liberal Democrat member, Councillor Robert Inwood, did not vote on the issue. Councillor Fiona Hill said after the council decision: "We have spent more than £9,000 on repairs for things that have been vandalised in the area the ban will cover." During the debate, council leader Councillor F John Smith said: "The people of Royston are eagerly looking forward to this being brought into play." The district council will be spending the next two months completing the legal paperwork to introduce the scheme. The measures have been given the go-ahead almost six months after The Crow in an exclusive story broke the details about a possible booze ban last August. A report to the district council's cabinet said 400 alcohol cans and bottles were cleared from Priory Memorial Gardens. The police also took action and spent Friday and Saturday nights patrolling the area to stamp out the prevailing yob culture. Ministry of Defence police officers based at Bassingbourn Barracks were also drafted into the area to add support Councillor David Keans, leader of the district council's Labour group, said: "I do worry that we may make laws that are un-policeable. "The police are all going to be reporting, they are not going to be policing." Sgt Mike Wood of Hertfordshire police said: "We will be monitoring what's going on and will take action when necessary. "With the problems we've had over the last year, we welcome this, and hopefully it will alleviate some of the problems we've been having in Royston with alcohol.