Street-drinking ‘gangs’ blight popular play park
STREET drinkers have taken over a Hull park opposite a primary school in a concerning trend that could only get worse as winter draws near.
That is the observation of a worried Anlaby Road man who says the problem has been funnelled away from the main street in the direction of the children’s playground.
The 29-year-old man, who asked not to be named, says he has seen gangs of up to 15 drinkers swigging bottles of super-strength beer and cider in Arthur Street Park opposite St George’s Road.
He says the worrying trend makes the area look bad, but maintains it is concerns for kids using the playing area that have urged him to speak out.
The man claims Anlaby Road was in the grip of street drinkers until a ban was put on certain off-licences selling products above a certain percentage of alcohol content.
He now says that has forced them to target a new shop, which has therefore encouraged them to then sit in the park.
“As a community, it just doesn’t look good, especially with them being on a kids’ park, which means they are drinking opposite a primary school,” he said.
“They sit out there in the park. There can be between five and 15 of them at one time.
“It isn’t necessarily something that affects me, but it is for people like the parents.
“It could get worse, especially with it getting darker soon and with coronavirus as well now and their lack of social distancing.
“My main issue is that it is opposite a school. I’ve seen them out there at all times.
“They’ve just moved them on to a more sensitive place as they now gather on Arthur Street Park.”
The park sits on the junction of Arthur Street and St George’s Road and has plenty of green space for children to run around in, as well as benches, climbing equipment and a swing. However, these positives for young children appear to be what has also attracted those who it is not intended for.
The man says he has witnessed the damage the street drinkers did to Anlaby Road but that them being pushed towards St George’s Primary School makes matters worse.
“From what I know, for the past year there has been a problem with street drinkers and beggers in Anlaby Road,” the west Hull resident said.
“Last month, the police put a ban on beer and cider being sold above a certain percentage so they no longer sell the stuff they want.
“They were causing a nuisance to people walking past, like families.
“They might have moved on from Anlaby Road, but they have moved to a worse area.”
He says he believes a blanket ban on selling alcohol to certain individuals would help to curb the issue of street drinking, as opposed to shops being denied the right to sell their high-percentage goods.