A city-wide ban on street drinking in Brighton and Hove will be in force by the start of the summer.

Brighton and Hove City Council will work closely with the Government's new antisocial behaviour unit as a pioneer authority.

Together with Camden and Westminster City councils in London, the city will put in force radical new measures to tackle street drinking and anti-social behaviour.

This follows Home Office recognition of work in Brighton and Hove to tackle street homeless problems and begging in the street.

The council has been in touch with Louise Casey, who heads up the new anti-social behaviour unit, about linking up work tackling drug and alcohol abuse with beating crime and anti-social behaviour.

Council chief executive David Panter said: "Our aim is to deal with these complex social problems by working closely with the police and other agencies."

The council already has five community support officers to help tackle anti-social behaviour on the streets and the Home Office is going to fund another five or possibly ten.

Mr Panter said: "The fact the Government is supporting Brighton and Hove is a recognition of the ground-breaking work we are doing here."

He said the council had worked closely with the police in areas such as Norfolk Square where there were recognised problems.

While police were targeting the area, the council was cleaning it, removing graffiti and making sure the toilets were not vandalised.

Brighton and Hove already has a street drinking ban in Kemp Town and has applied to extend it to the rest of the city centre. The Government has indicated this will be approved.