CAMPAIGNERS fear that a move to ban open air drinking in Bradford city centre could see the associated problems shifting to places like Ilkley.

There are no plans to introduce a similar ban in Ilkley because it would spoil the fun of picnickers and pavement caf customers.

However, Bradford Council is considering bringing in sweeping bylaws in a bid to rid the city centre of its nuisance drinkers.

Campaigner Dave Jackson, a recovering alcoholic and former Bradford City soccer striker, said legal action was not the answer to the problem.

"They'll only go somewhere else in Bradford. If we had more facilities and beds, this problem wouldn't be so bad and people would not be dying on the streets either.

"They are not pouring drink down their neck through choice - it's an illness. I can understand the feelings from a trader's point of view, but nobody is understanding the alcoholic's side. The point is we need better treatment."

The campaign group of alcoholics, academics and volunteers wants more detoxification facilities and a halfway house for alcoholics in the district who claim they are turned away when seeking medical help."

Dr Jackie Hughes, who is undertaking research on drinking in Bradford, said the proposed bylaws would not solve the problem.

Dr Hughes said: "All they are going to do is move people on to a different area - it doesn't resolve the problem.

Bradford Council is studying the legal implications of the bylaws. A police spokesman said they would support any moves to make people's visits to the city centre safe and free from anti-social behaviour. But Ilkley Parish Council chairman Michael Gibbons agrees that problems with alcoholics should be dealt with instead of pushing them out of one area into another.

He said he would not be in favour of introducing a similar ban into Ilkley.

Coun Gibbons said: "Once again it would be penalising everyone for the actions of a minority - I wasn't aware that we had such a problem in Bradford in that respect.

"I would not want the problem to be just pushed out into outlying areas. If there is a problem it needs to be dealt with at the source."

He agreed that resources should be made available to treat alcoholics instead of simply pushing the problem underground or to other areas.

Ilkley district councillor and Bradford's environment chief, Anne Hawkesworth (Con), said she did not think that outside drinkers would make their way to Ilkley if they were banned from Bradford.

"Obviously alcoholics will not discontinue drinking if there is a ban in the city centre but whether they would all go to the same place elsewhere is questionable," said Coun Hawkesworth.

She said that the problem was not confined to the centre of Bradford.

"On Bank holidays, certain areas in Ilkley can be quite rowdy," said Coun Hawkesworth.

She said a ban on street drinking could be seen as an over-reaction to a Bank holiday problem and spoil the fun for people who enjoyed a drink in the open air without causing a nuisance.