Richmond Council's leader has called on Tesco to follow Sainsbury's in banning the late night sale of alcohol.

The Local Sainsbury's stores at Richmond Station and Twickenham Green have put temporarily put a stop to selling alcohol after 9pm.

It is in response to calls from the council for supermarkets to do more to help tackle the recent increase in anti-social behaviour in the borough, particularly around the two greens.

The measure will remain in place until the end of August and the situation will be monitored throughout.

A very welcome move

Council leader Gareth Roberts said: "This is a very welcome step from Sainsbury's.

"Alcohol has been a major contributory factor to late night anti-social behaviour in the borough.

"Limiting the availability of supply close to hot spots should have a positive effect on discouraging late night gatherings and the associated problems of public urination, littering and noise.

"Residents have told us that they think stopping the sale of alcohol at 9pm will have a positive effect and I am pleased that Sainsbury's has been the first retailer to step up to the plate and offer this change, albeit on a time limited basis."

He added: "I want to thank Sainsbury's for this public-spirited move.

"I know it may cause slight inconvenience for some, but I hope it will make a real difference to tackling anti-social behaviour on our greens.

"I now want Tesco to follow suit and do the same. Particularly the Tesco Express located near to Twickenham Green and the Tesco Metro in Richmond Town Centre."

A spokesperson from Sainsbury's said: "We are committed to supporting the communities that we serve and will keep this temporary measure under review in partnership with the council."

Tesco said it has given employees more flexibility to restrict the sale of alcohol, increased its store security and removed stacks of alcohol from the shop entrance at certain times.

A spokesperson for the supermarket told Richmond Nub News: "We always do our best to be a good neighbour and we've been working closely with the council and Friends of Richmond Green to put in place a number of options available to the store to restrict the sale of alcohol if required."

Toilets update

After the public meetings in June and to help tackle the issue of public urination, the council offered £350 to businesses who join the Community Toilet Scheme for three months – which means they agree to open their toilet facilities for non-paying customers.

Additionally, all cafes, pubs and restaurants have been reminded that if they are currently open for business and have customer toilets, then these should also be open.

Officers are also investigating the possibility of opening new public toilets in both town centres.

The council said it is eager to work with businesses to ensure that sales of alcohol are carried out responsibly.

"However, we will not hesitate to take proportionate action against any retailer selling alcohol in breach of their licence or where it causes antisocial behaviour or public nuisance," the council said.