Falmouth's mayor has spoken of the town developing a "street drinking culture" as extra CCTV cameras are put in place until the end of this month.

Steve Eva made the comment at a recent town council meeting.

During the finance and general purposes committee meeting, mayor Steve Eva reported that he had written to both Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez and the chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police over his concerns about police resources in the town.

In his letter he also highlighted issues with anti-social behaviour and a “street drinking culture developing.”

The committee agreed to fund extra daytime CCTV monitoring at weekends until the end of September, as requested by the police.

Town clerk Mark Williams reported that Cornwall Council had renewed the Public Space Protection Order that was in place in Falmouth, to prevent street drinking.

It was also revealed that extra CCTV cameras and street marshals had been out in Falmouth over the bank holiday weekend, thanks to a police grant of £1,000.

The money came from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.

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Speaking to the Packet after the meeting, Mr Eva said: "My view is that police presence is getting less and less, therefore we rely more now on CCTV to pick up the problems."

He added that it was not always negative incidents that the footage was used for, however, as only this week the cameras picked up a 72-year-old pensioner with Alzheimer's, who was lost.

Mr Eva went on to say: "As for the street drinkers, they sit in plain view on The Moor, drinking and causing trouble. Some of them are effing and blinding.

"You phone the police, the police come down, but by then they've put away the bottles.

"I just think we have become a target for street drinkers."

The town centre is a designated 'no drinking' zone and police have the power to direct anyone causing - or likely to cause - alcohol-related anti-social behaviour to leave a particular area, and not return for a period up to 48 hours.