Benches in Frogmoor are set to be removed and reused elsewhere in an effort to deter groups of ‘street drinkers’ from gathering in the area.

The move follows repeated calls for action to address ongoing issues with public drinking in the town centre.

Buckinghamshire Council officer Ian Barham confirmed the plans during a recent meeting of the High Wycombe Town Committee.

He said: “The benches within Frogmore will be coming out, later this week, and will be recycled, will be reused in other locations, to move some of the groups on, particularly street drinkers.”

Mr Barham said the authority, is working closely with the police, and has increased its collaboration and is carrying out significant work across the Frogmoor.

He also spoke about regeneration in the town centre, he said: “Personally speaking I think there is a major improvement in terms of White Hart Street the way that it looks compared to the way that I used to look.

“Sometimes you have got to remember that approach, the important thing now is to keep it looking good, and to keep it looking in its top condition.

“So, there is work that needs to be done in terms of the maintenance of the surfaces, with cleaning, how we work with community groups around sort of the areas itself.

“Chiltern Rangers made a big difference in terms of the planting regimes but also making it easier for our cleaning teams to keep on top of that work.”

Mr Barham also highlighted the work being done by council cleaning teams in the town’s car parks, including keeping stairwells clean.

He said ensuring the car parks look well-maintained is important, as they provide the first impression for visitors.

Former Buckinghamshire councillor Arif Hussain previously said that people were avoiding the area because groups often gather there to drink.

He said: “If you go to Frogmoor during the day, there is a bunch of people who are really drunk and are being anti-social. I can’t see that it’s an attractive part of High Wycombe.

“Families are very reluctant to come and walk through Frogmoor – they will bypass it. It is a nuisance. It needs something more substantial [than a PSPO]. We need to manage these people in a better way. We need to look at the wider picture because businesses in the area are suffering badly.”