A CONSULTATION has been launched in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Copeland Borough Council has asked residents and visitors for their views on a raft of measures used to counter disorder in the area.

People are invited to comment on the council's current restrictions on public alcohol consumption and policies on dog control.

The consultation comes as the existing orders are being phased out by the government, with Copeland Council set to replace them with public spaces prevention orders in October.

PSPOs are intended to deal with a particular nuisance by placing conditions on the use of a designated area, thereby giving extra powers to the council and the police to deal with any breaches.

The consultation is set to cover topics including where it is not permitted to drink alcohol in public, where dogs are not permitted, where dog owners must clean up after their dog immediately, where dogs must be kept on a lead, and where dog owners can be ordered by an official to place their dogs on a lead to prevent a nuisance.

While the council is not proposing changes to existing designated areas at this stage, it is using the transitional period to invite public feedback as to whether changes should be considered.

Councillor Mark Holliday, Copeland’s portfolio holder for enforcement, said: "This change in legislation gives us the perfect opportunity to review our current policies on dealing with anti-social behaviour, and to ask the public what their views are.

"To be clear, we are not proposing any changes; the proposed designated areas are exactly the same as we’ve always had under the previous legislation, but times and habits change so we welcome the public’s input into this consultation."

Details of how people can respond to the consultation, including questionnaires to download, are available at www.copeland.gov.uk/section/public-space-protection-order-consultation, by calling 01946 598528 or by visiting the council’s office in Millom.