Street drinkers defied a town-wide ban on its first day of introduction by remaining in public.

Three arrests were made yesterday as Hastings and St Leonards enforced the ban in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

The Argus also found a nine-strong group of drinkers gathered by Bottle Alley on St Leonards seafront.

Some of the drinkers backed the tougher new stance by Hastings Borough Council but criticised the lack of help available to beat their habits.

The Labour-led council decided to act amid fears drinkers were turning parts of the town into no-go areas.

Street drinking has been banned in certain parts of Hastings and St Leonards for the last three years.

But studies have shown that drinkers simply moved to escape detection.

They have been displaced to outlying areas including Silverhill, Halton Graveyard and Battle Road.

Street drinker Peter Rogers, 36, backed the wider ban and called for a centre in Hastings to help break their alcoholism.

He has been drinking up to 350 units a week since he was 14 and prefers to drink in a group than stay indoors.

He said being confined in a flat bred depression and suicidal tendencies. Mr Rogers said: "I don't like being an alcoholic but I can't help it - it's an illness. Through drinking I have lost everything in my life: My family, my job and my life.

"I want to change and I think introducing a street ban is a step in the right direction. But for it to work there has to be help available."

Council officials proposed introducing a ban stretching across the borough and councillors unanimously backed the plan last month.

The council has said a town-wide ban will not work alone so measures to tackle the root of street drinking have been agreed as well.

These include increasing the number of treatment and support options.

Environment and safety councillor Godfrey Daniel rejected the idea of a centre.

He said it could attract street drinkers from other towns and pose planning problems with neighbouring householders.

He said: "Our street drinkers are not homeless. They could quite easily do their drinking in their homes rather than on the street."

Council chiefs said the new scheme will not be a complete ban - people can still take drinks to the beach with picnics.