I would stress Brighton and Hove City Council has no intention of preventing people, for example, enjoying a drink with a meal or a picnic with their children, or of enjoying the pleasures of the beach and seafront.

What we are aiming to do is improve the quality of life of local people and visitors by stopping the unacceptable anti-social behaviour arising from the misuse of alcohol.

Those who drink on the streets as part of their way of life sometimes perpetuate that behaviour.

That is why we are moving forward with an order which will combine enforcement of the ban with services to help drinkers get off the streets and the beach once and for all.

Our big challenge is to stop displacement of the problem from one area to another. That is why a citywide ban makes sense.

But we will be consulting seafront traders, licensees and residents throughout the city about the exact boundary.

We also need to establish what constitutes unacceptable behaviour and how we distinguish between those who are enjoying the sea and sun without troubling others and those who need joint action from the police and other services.

-Linda Beanlands, community safety manager, Brighton and Hove City Council