New police powers are unlikely to be used to curb problem drinkers in Mitcham town centre because it is too costly, residents were told.

Several residents called for a controlled drinking zone to be set up in Mitcham town centre during a public meeting with Merton’s new borough commander at St Mark’s Church, St Mark’s Road, on Saturday.

The March 17 meeting, chaired by Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh, gave Figge’s Marsh residents a chance to address Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Williams, who took over Merton Police in January.

One lady stood up and said: “It was mayhem on Friday night last week and I’ve been saying for years we need a controlled drinking zone for the town centre.

“They have it in Wimbledon so why can’t we have it in Mitcham? What more can be done to stop young people having fights and peeing in the street?”

The sergeant of Figge’s Marsh safer neighbourhood team, Dan Wheatley, replied: “It is my understanding that the council is not in favour of that because it might not be cost effective and the required legislation might be changing soon.”

Controlled drinking zones (CDZ) allow police to confiscate alcohol at their discretion but are not automatic bans on drinking alcochol within the zone.

Merton Council unanimously voted to introduce a CDZ in Wimbledon town centre in 2005, during which time the previous Labour administration said it would look at rolling out the scheme to other town centres.

Councillor Edith Macauley, the current Labour adminisration’s cabinet member for community safety, refused to comment on why the council had not adopted a CDZ in Mitcham but insisted the idea had not been ruled out.

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