A £10,000 improvement scheme for a park remembering York's war dead is set to be joined by a drinking ban.

City planning chiefs are to discuss work to revamp the War Memorial Gardens, in Station Road.

They intend to put alcohol restrictions in place, forbidding a group of drinkers from using it.

Brian Williams, the council's parks and open spaces officer, said: "The gardens are, unfortunately, used on a regular basis by a group of drinkers who can be rude and abusive to other users and spoil the solemnity of the gardens.

"At present there are no orders restricting the consumption of alcohol and so it is difficult to prevent such behaviour. A restriction order...makes if an offence if a person continues to drink once they have been asked to stop by a police officer."

City of York Council was given £10,000 as part of an agreement made with the developers of the Foxtons Garage site, next to the park, which is having flats built on it.

The gardens, formerly owned by the British Rail Property Board, were sold to the developers and were transferred to the council last year.

Already regular inspections of the grounds to remove used needles left by drug addicts have been started. Some of the paths have also been resurfaced.

Work proposed includes:

- Additional path repairs

- Landscaping alongside a new wall

- Refurbishment of benches

- Work on existing shrub beds

- Restocking rose beds.

The council also intends to carry out a deep clean of the war memorial.

Mr Williams said: "This is over and above the annual clean and takes place every five to ten years to avoid excessive build-up of dirt and grime and will be funded from the existing day-to-day budget."

The council's executive member for leisure, Coun Alan Jones, will meet officers tomorrow to discuss the plans.

Updated: 09:41 Wednesday, November 20, 2002