BOOZING in the street could be a thing of the past across large areas of the County Town as police get set for new powers to confiscate drink.

A plan to create seven alcohol exclusion zones in Maidstone has now been finalised. If approved by Maidstone Borough Council, the scheme would give police the power to take alcoholic drinks away from people within the seven areas, whenever the officers say it is appropriate to stop trouble.

The rules could be in place by mid-November.

Keith Hatcher, community safety manager for Maidstone Borough Council, said: "The control is a power to the police to remove alcohol from people for anti-social behaviour reasons."

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