RESIDENTS in Ombersley Street West have voiced their concerns at a recent council meeting over customers sitting outside the Westcroft Arms pub in Droitwich.

The pub has benches placed on the wide pavement area at the front, and several residents have expressed a fear that the coming warm weather will attract anti-social behaviour.

One resident said: “I did and do have a problem with the benches outside the pub. I’ve spoken to the landlady before and she did say she’d try and sort it out.

“I don’t have a problem with the pub, I just have a problem with people sat outside drinking with their tops off shouting and swearing.”

Adam Storey, partner of the landlady, said: “There has been the odd incident, and we’ve always made it clear if anybody has got an issue, come and talk to us, and we’ll do anything we can, but I can’t literally be behind every single person every single minute of every single day. The benches were removed last year for 10 days and we lost a hell of a lot of money.”

An incident involving two women fighting was reported outside the pub on April 11, but it was swiftly dealt with by staff. Sergeant Sarah Kent has been keeping an eye on activity around the benches. She said that most of the concerns have been raised by a vocal minority in the area.

She added: “Nothing has been reported to us. I’m not saying there aren’t problems in Ombersley Street West, it’s quite a busy cut through, but you can’t attribute all the things that happen in that road to the pub.

“If it’s the pub that’s the problem we deal with the pub, but my evidence doesn’t point to that pub. There are other people on that road at night in drink not from that pub.

“It’s very hard to quantify intimidation. People are sat there and having a drink and a lot of the time they aren’t doing anything specific. If they are doing specific things, even if it’s just swearing and shouting I need to hear about it. Other than that I’m sitting playing the waiting game.”

If anyone has experienced any intimidating or anti-social behaviour, anywhere in Droitwich, they can contact local police on the no-emergency number 101.