SUPER strength alcohol could be taken off the shelves of shops in Colchester.

Colchester Council wants to introduce a campaign called Reducing the Strength, to stop the sale of beer and cider with more than 6.5 per cent alcohol content.

Although shops would not have to sign up, it is hoped the scheme would stop alcoholics buying booze and causing a nuisance.

Tim Young, councillor responsible for community safety, has put forward the proposal after a year-long trial in Ipswich was a success.

He said: “It has worked incredibly well in Ipswich.

“We are meeting with Suffolk Police, Essex Police and Ipswich Council representatives next week with a view to roll it out in Colchester.”

Mr Young said shops only have one reason to sell super strength alcohol.

He said: “It has one purpose and one purpose only, to get people very drunk very quickly.”

The plans have been backed by all parties on Colchester Council.

Will Quince, leader of Colchester Conservative group, which is in opposition, supports the idea.

He said: “I think it will bring pretty quick results.

“The police are experts in this and if they say it will help and it will make the town centre safer, we would be foolish not to seriously consider it.

“In general, I am not a fan of banning things, but in this instance, it seems like a nobrainer.”

Suffolk Police said the scheme had cut the number of street drinkers in Ipswich from 78 to 38, and the number of antisocial “incidents of concern”

dropped from 191 to 94 since it began in October last year.

Two weeks ago, Colchester became the second place in the country to get tougher powers to stop street drinkers and beggars.

Repeat offenders face being jailed for up to two years or subjected to an antisocial behaviour order.