Shops selling alcohol in Ashby could be invited to local Pubwatch meetings to try and stop the town becoming a 'soft touch' for those warning to steal drink from stores.

Tonight's meeting (Monday) of the full Town Council heard from councillors Murrae Blair -Park and Pejman Zamani who highlighted the problem in the town.

Labour councillor Blair-Park said there had been 'pilfering' of alcohol from shops and supermarkets.

There were also suggestions that shoplifters were targeting certain shops as they knew they could get away with it.

That led in turn to the offenders taking the drink to places such as the Bath Grounds and consuming it there.

Cllr Blair-Park said: "We know we're being seen as a soft touch when it comes to the accessibility to alcohol.

"It would be helpful to invite retailers of alcohol to the next meeting of Pubwatch."

Conservative councillor Zamani, who owns a restaurant in Market Street, says he knows this is a major issue in Ashby.

He said: "This is a big problem, and it's important we address this behaviour.

"It's very bad in the town. There are certain places that are famous for it, because people doing it know they're not going to be stopped.

"Maybe they're understaffed, I don't know, but people openly talk about it in the town."