Homeless drinkers are not the problem

One hand the Evening Advertiser and Coun Foley address the problems of "rowdy street boozers" and drinkers "walking from pub to pub," but then we read that Coun Geraldine Robertson sees the problem as being those "who choose to drink on a bench or in a doorway."

Coun Robertson seems to be telling us that such people are the problem, indeed as she says, "for many young people, a drink out in the evening is a sociable and pleasant activity."

Not in Old Town on a Friday or Saturday night it is not. The place is awash with affluent, professional classes, puking into the gutters and dangerously blocking the road.

Yes, there are half a dozen or so unfortunate down-and outs who drink on the streets and frequent doorways and benches but they are not the real problem.

The real problem, the one apparently ignored by Coun Robertson's comments, is the booze culture of Swindon's young professional classes and the trail of violence and vomit they spend so much money creating.

Why is a Liberal Democrat councillor and task group chairwoman attacking people who drink on benches often homeless or hostel dwellers and failing to address the real cause of the mess on our streets?

Could it be that the economy of Old Town and Swindon would suffer if the clubbers and boozers were curtailed by the very alcohol-free zones which are being suggested?

Coun Robertson needs to wise up the "negative effect" on Swindon is not park bench drunks, it's the drink-related, teenage dysfunction, domestic violence, and drug and sex problems, all of which cost us millions to manage via the police, NHS and the council tax.

An alcohol-free shoppers zone will not solve these problems on a weekend late night in Old Town.

And what of the addiction to the massive cash injection into our local economy that our club culture has engendered?

How willing are we to stop that?

Lance Cole

Old Town