I am utterly appalled Merton Council has given police the power to ban public alcohol consumption anywhere in Merton.

This has all come about because some very well-intentioned people in Mitcham argued for a controlled-drinking zone in their town centre, because they were blighted by vagrants and wasters boozing in Fair Green all day.

We already had one in Wimbledon town centre, a key part of south London’s nighttime economy, and of course a place where police should have the power to take away drink from rowdy clubbers.

But now Big Brother in Morden has decreed that police can apply this power anywhere, be it during boozy barbecue in Wimbledon Park or a glass of Pimms on Wimbledon Common.

Shame on the council officers who have done this to save money and shame on the council leader for desperately trying to appear he is doing ‘something’, even though we know the true causes of antisocial behaviour being lack of education, mental illness, and unemployment.

As usual, the peaceful law-abiding majority’s freedoms are slowly whittled away because of government’s inability to properly deal with an unpleasant minority.

Three cheers for the police state! Or not.

Gordon Bennett
West Wimbledon

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