MEASURES designed to tackle anti-social behaviour in Weymouth have been put on hold once again following the success of existing policies.

Members of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s Licensing Committee met yesterday to decide whether to implement new licensing tools.

Inspector Pete Browning presented a report to the committee, looking at whether Weymouth should adopt an Early Morning Restriction Order (EMRO) or Late Night Levy.

These tools would allow the local authority to charge late night bars and prohibit the sale of alcohol beyond a specific time.

The decision was taken to review the situation next year.

Bars agreed in January to stop selling alcohol at 7am on a voluntary basis, cutting back to 5am, which has seen a reduction in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents.

Cllr John Birtwhistle said: “All the evidence we are getting is that it hasn’t got worse. It’s got better.

“I would suggest we leave things as they are.”

Speaking at the meeting, Insp Browning said: “An EMRO would make a mass target of an area. I think we would struggle at the moment to try and push that through because we want to do the more proportionate methods.

“I would not be supportive of an EMRO but I would not dismiss it in the long term if the matter arose.”

Insp Browning added that he wished to continue working alongside venues voluntarily to stop the sale of alcohol earlier.