An alcohol ban should be introduced across the whole of a Black Country borough to replace the present “piecemeal” orders, councillors claim.

Dudley’s licensing and safety committee wants a blanket ban to tackle  boozers making life a misery for residents, shoppers and traders.

Under the current system, banning orders can only be introduced in specific areas where police say there is evidence of problems, but councillors say a blanket system has been successful in other parts of the country.

Legal experts have said it is unclear whether a blanket ban could be introduced under present Government guidelines.

Now Councillor Brian Cotterill and other members of the licensing and safety committee have called for a new investigation into whether the Dudley system could be changed.

Councillor Cotterill said: “Other places have done it, and it should at least be looked at for the Dudley borough as well. At the moment we have a situation where part of a street is covered by a ban and a little further down the same street isn’t.

“It is a piecemeal way of doing things and I believe it would make it far easier for police to enforce, if they knew drinking alcohol was banned on all streets.”

Mr Philip Tart, the council’s interim director of law and property, said: “The intention was always to introduce these bans a stage at a time. I am not certain of the legality of introducing a blanket ban, but it is something I will look into.”

The ban, which allows police to confiscate alcohol from people found drinking on the street, has been introduced in town centres at Stourbridge, Halesowen, Lye and Sedgley.

Mary Stevens Park, in Stourbridge, is also protected by the ban. An application has also been approved in principle for Brierley Hill High Street.