POLICE in Lower Gornal have joined forces with convicted of fenders to make residents aware of the area’s alcohol exclusion zones.

Following funding from the Joint Action Group, officers have been able to purchase signs advising residents of the ban, which came into force earlier this year.

The order, which prohibits the drinking of alcohol in all public unlicensed places, covers The Straits, Cotwall End Valley, Gornal Wood, Ruiton and Coopers Bank, including Hunts Mill Nature Reserve.

The neighbourhood policing team worked alongside the Community Payback team – which allows offenders to repay their community for their crimes – to install the signage around the area.

Pc Hardeep Johal, said: “The signs have been put up across the Lower Gornal area which explain that alcohol shouldn’t be consumed in public places. People who now consume alcohol in public places can now be challenged by police and can be dealt with more effectively.”

Since the introduction of the ban in May, officers have reported a “vast improvement” in antisocial behaviour and underage drinkers.

It is hoped similar successes will soon be seen in Upper Gornal and Woodsetton, which is undergoing a consultation for an alcohol exclusion zone.

A successful ban is already in force in Sedgley.