POLICE have called on the city council to extend a city centre licensing zone due to an increase in alcohol-related crime.

West Mercia Police has asked for the city’s cumulative impact zone (CIZ) – which looks to protect areas which have a high density of licensed bars, restaurants, clubs and takeaways from crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour – to be extended to cover a greater area of the city centre.

Worcester City Council already has a cumulative impact zone (CIZ) which covers most of the city centre including Angel Place, Foregate Street, Friar Street, New Street, Lowesmoor, The Butts and The Cross.

West Mercia Police has asked the city council to extend the zone to make a simpler and easily identifiable boundary around the city centre.

The new zone would run from Castle Street and along the River Severn up to Worcester Cathedral along Fish Street back through City Walls Road, Spring Gardens and St Paul’s Street, around Lowesmoor and up Sansome Walk before rejoining Castle Street through Taylor’s Lane.

West Mercia Police said the number of licensed bars, restaurants, clubs and takeaways in close proximity with each other is clearly linked to increased levels of crime and disorder.

Extending the zone’s boundary would include many streets that have the potential for applications for licenses in the future, police say.

The force said whilst few premises are open on these streets, many suffer from an overflow of incidents from neighbouring areas and if no constraint was put on the streets now, the areas could suffer from an increase in crime and disorder in the future as the city expands.

Police figures show the number of incidents within the current zone increased 11 per cent between 2016 and 2018.

The number of alcohol related incidents has increased by 35 per cent in the same period.

The zone plays an important part of the process when the council decides on whether to grant alcohol licenses.

Applying to open a late-night premises within the zone shifts the burden onto the applicant to prove opening it would not contribute to crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Applicants must also show how they would promote public safety and protect children from harm.

A proposed gin palace in Angel Place and a new KFC in The Cross have all been rejected in recent years over fears of a rise in crime and disorder.

The council's licensing and environmental health committee meets on June 10 to decide.