This summer, the police will launch 'operation bottle top', a new, unique patrol in Greenford, Northolt and Perivale devoted to tackling anti-social outdoor drinking and associated behaviour. No such commitment for Southall.

Currently the whole of Ealing is a controlled drinking zone (CDZ) as designated by the council. This means it is an area where, if outdoor drinking is causing a nuisance or annoyance, police officers and police community support officers can ask people to stop drinking or to surrender their drink. Any refusal to do so can result in a fine of up to £500.

The council’s safer communities team, with key partners including the police, has developed a strategy to tackle anti-social outdoor drinking. When local residents and businesses in Greenford, Northolt and Perivale raised concerns about this particular issue the police, in consultation with the council, responded and they will exercise their powers to tackle such behaviour this summer with the introduction of operation bottle top.

In reality, there are insufficient Police officers to patrol the streets and all they can do is take the drink off the offenders, even if they caught them a hundred times before. Not much of a deterrent.

Over six weeks, from Friday 10 July until Saturday 22 August 2015, a dedicated police vehicle will patrol the area to enforce Ealing’s CDZ.

Inspector Dominic Lemonde said: "We have listened to the residents and business owners in the chosen areas and know that anti-social behaviour related to outdoor drinking is one of the top concerns for many of them."

"This is an issue we aim to tackle over the summer with this new, devoted patrol service. It will help us to reduce not only the unsavoury elements associated with people drinking in public but also other issues ranging from public order offences to litter and graffiti."

The patrol will be operational every day over the six weeks but times may vary. Primarily, it will be on duty Sunday to Wednesday, 2-11pm, and Thursday to Saturday, 4pm-2am. Patrol officers can be contacted on an exclusive mobile number, 07824 894395, giving people a direct link to report street drinkers congregating and causing a nuisance. There is also a voicemail facility if the patrol is off duty or busy dealing with other incidents.

Councillor Ranjit Dheer, cabinet member for safety, culture and community services, said: "Ealing is a vibrant and exciting borough with a variety of outdoor events and activities that we want people to enjoy safely and responsibly throughout the summer. While most local people and visitors do so, there are invariably a few who will make a nuisance of themselves by engaging in criminal and anti-social behaviour." "So I am pleased the police have introduced this dedicated patrol service to help enforce our controlled drinking zone and support our efforts to make the borough safer for everyone." The residents of Southall won't be pleased with the lack of inactivity on this matter.

Ward-based local policing teams and the council’s parks patrol team, Parkguard, will be patrolling parks and open green spaces across Ealing throughout the summer. Where possible, they will also be challenging people engaging in irresponsible drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

You can contact the police on 101 for non-emergency calls, and in an emergency always dial 999. If you don't, nothing will ever get done and you have only yourselves to blame. Staying silent wont't solve anything. Get your councillors to do SOME work.