ROWDY behaviour in the Wheatfields area of St Ives has more than halved since police were given extra powers to confiscate alcoholic drink. Huntingdonshire District Council agreed the designated public places order in February last year. Complaints of a

ROWDY behaviour in the Wheatfields area of St Ives has more than halved since police were given extra powers to confiscate alcoholic drink.

Huntingdonshire District Council agreed the "designated public places order" in February last year. Complaints of anti-social behaviour over a six-month period since then fell to 16, compared with nearly 40 in the equivalent period of 2006.

Police also reported a small decrease in alcohol-related anti-social crimes and a reduction in incidents of criminal damage from 11 to seven.

In a total of 85 police patrols over the six months, officers seized alcohol on four occasions.

The order gave police and community support officers the authority to require someone drinking alcohol to stop and to confiscate alcoholic drink, whether opened or not. Anyone failing to comply can be given a fixed penalty notice, reported for prosecution or arrested.

The next step to be taken by the police and council will be to send a questionnaire to local residents to seek their views on the effectiveness of the order.