FRESH moves to ban drinking in public areas of Hythe could soon get under way as the parish declares war on late-night hooliganism and vandalism.

The revelation follows a storm of protest by residents over noise and damage to their properties.

A deputation of people living in the Langdown Lawn Close area near Hythe Hospital packed into a meeting of Hythe and Dibden Parish Council's amenities committee and protested at the antics of unruly teenagers.

Resident Derek Goodger had already told the parish council in a letter of the theft of hanging baskets and garden ornaments and damage to cars, flower troughs and fences.

Much of it, he said, centred around the Langdown Lawn open space area, which he said, had "deteriorated alarmingly and is now the refuge of around 30 young people who use it as a self-contained area for mindless vandalism, the use of drugs and, at times, sexual activity."

With the availability of drinks - often bought by over-18s and then sold on illegally to juveniles - one of the major problems, calls for a ban on drinking in public areas were renewed.

Parish clerk Brian Beaven told the meeting that a report on the problem would be going to the council's general purposes and finance committee in two weeks' time.

In support of the call by Mr Goodger for action on the Langdown Lawn, magistrate Fred Shearon said that the job of the police was hampered because the field had five or six outlets, which made it easy for troublemakers to run off when attempts were made to catch them.

But there was an assurance by amenities chairman Maureen McLean, pictured, that the parish council was determined to help solve the problem.

She said: "I hope you have learned that we are not just sitting on our hands.

"We have got a scheme to look at off-licences in the area and we are discussing drinking in public areas."