BUSINESSES and taxi drivers have called for tougher action on street drinkers after a fight in York.

Shoppers and passers-by were shocked as a drunk man struck a woman, then fought with a taxi driver who tried to intervene.

According to witnesses, the man then proceeded to glare aggressively into the taxis at the rank, before throwing some beer and a cigarette into the cab of the driver who had challenged him earlier. A fight ensued, and the police were called.

Steve Joiner has worked as a taxi driver in the area for several months, and said the incident on Friday left his 86-year-old passenger frightened and shaken.

He said: “It seems to be getting worse. There’s more of them sitting drinking and it’s spilling on to the street. They’re getting aggressive, staggering around in front of people just trying to walk to the shops.

“One or two of them when they drink too much get very, very aggressive as if they are daring someone to say something to them. Riding up and down St Saviourgate on bikes and glaring at drivers as if to say ‘come on, say something to me’.”

The taxi driver was not believed to have been injured in the attack, but his colleagues and local businesses have urged City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police to do more to prevent this kind of incident happening again.

One local businesswoman, who asked not to be named, said: “We put up with this all the time, we have sent petitions trying to make this an alcohol-free area and nothing has been done.”

Jane Mowat, the council’s head of community safety, said work was under way with police to consider extending Designated Public Place Orders (DPPOs), to a boundary which would roughly correspond with the Bar Walls, as well as other measures, including working directly with street drinkers rather than moving them on.

She said: “The business community in Stonebow has raised concerns for a number of years. North Yorkshire Police and Safer York Partnership discussed a number of options and considered a DPPO for the area within the ring road.

“However, neither analysis of levels of antisocial behaviour nor the results of the consultation supported such a wide approach.”

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “North York police are aware of the issues in the Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate area and have been working closely with the City of York Council to address the problems.

"A number of actions are being taken to reduce the amount of antisocial behaviour in Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate and the wider city centre area. One of which, is the introduction of a dispersal order, which will give officers to move problem drinkers away from the area. This is anticipated to be in place and enforceable shortly.”

• Police arrested a 36-year-old woman in connection with the incident. She has since been released on bail.