BETWS Park should be made a no-booze zone to combat a rising tide of under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour.

That is the hard-hitting view of Betws community councillors who have vowed to adopt a zero tolerance approach to drinking in public and aim to make the park only the second to be declared a no-alcohol zone in Carmarthenshire.

“The police can’t seem to stop people drinking in Betws Park,” Cllr Dewi Branch told colleagues.

“I’m sorry, but that’s a public park for families and children – not a beer garden.”

“There aren’t many alcohol-free zones in the county but I really feel we need one here. Bye-laws do not effect over-18s – we have to lead the way on this.”

Cllr Branch claimed that during the summer nearby residents had been constantly disturbed by all-night partying and the amount of rubbish strewn about in the mornings was “distressing” to see.

Cllr Annette Price said she had overheard a group of under-age youngsters discussing going for a swim in the nearby River Aman following a drinking session. “There could by another fatality like the one we recently had in Brynaman,” she warned.

Cllr Maldwyn John said: “We cannot allow the park to become a no-go zone.”

Community clerk Cerith Griffiths is now looking into the potential costs of getting a no-alcohol zone imposed.

“It’s a long, drawn-out process,” he said after the meeting. “A park in Llanelli is currently the only one in the county where alcohol is prohibited.”