A SIGNIFICANT proportion of Newport people feel the city centre has become a “no-go area” after dark due to alcohol related problems, according to a study conducted for the charity Alcohol Concern.

The charity published details of the survey of 500 Newportonians this week ahead of a conference on the subject at the Riverfront Theatre in the city.

Most businesses and shoppers the Argus spoke to yesterday agreed they would not feel safe in the city centre at night.

However, Newport council said it was confident the £90m Friars Walk shopping precinct set to open in the city centre next year would help dispel the negative perception some people have of Newport.

Police pledged to look at the charity’s report to improve safety in Newport but stressed that crime had come down since it had introduced a dispersal order to curb anti-social behaviour in the city centre this summer.

Alcohol Concern commissioned Cogent Research and Analysis Ltd to conduct the survey in Newport in June.

Researchers found that 20 per cent would strongly agreed their town or city centre had become a no-go area after dark due to alcohol related problems.

A further 27 per cent slightly agreed this was the case, 19 per cent did not have an opinion, while 14 per cent slightly disagreed and 19 per cent strongly disagreed with the statement.

Alcohol Concern Cymru director Andrew Misell said: “This is certainly not a situation unique to Newport.

"When we asked people across Wales about this in 2009, 45 per cent told us that they avoided their town centre at night because of problems caused by binge drinking. Five years later, it seems these concerns still remain for many of us.”

Tasha Kiernan, 28, the manager of Greggs sandwich shop in Commercial Street, Newport, said: “I agree with the findings. I leave at 6.30pm. I have to walk through the city to get home.

“It is the same now as it has been for about a year. I see a lot more police during the day but I don’t seen any in the evenings.”

Duffryn mum-of-two Angela Rogers, 57, said: “I definitely would agree with the findings but I wouldn’t say it’s just alcohol. It’s drugs as well.

“I don’t feel safe in the city centre day or night. It has gone to dogs. I’d rather go to Cwmbran for shopping. I feel safer walking in Duffryn outside at 10pm.”

Liam Waite, 18, of Somerton, said: “I wouldn’t go out at night in Newport on my own because there is a lot of alcohol around.

“But I don’t think it’s too bad, it is better than other places in the UK.

“It’s a nice city but there is a lot of underage drinking as well. That scares people off.”

Bassaleg mum Nicola Selwood, 38, said: “I don’t feel like bringing my kids through the town after 6 or 7pm.”

Jon Powell, 35, of the Newport Market newsagent @TheNewsagent ,said: “The evenings may still be a problem. But I’m happy now there is someone you can go to with the dispersal order, you can call the police.

“A couple of years ago it wasn’t a nice place to come. I think it’s improved dramatically.

“Friars Walk is going to give people a reason to come in the evening and hopefully on Sundays as well.”

Gwent Police told the Argus that crime overall, including violent crime, had come down in the city centre since the introduction of its dispersal order in July.

Chief Insp Huw Jones said: “Policing the city centre night-time economy is one of our priorities and the work we are doing is positively reflected in the fall in crime in this area.

“We work very closely with partner agencies such as the local authority, local businesses and with door staff to make sure people visiting the city centre for a night out are safe and free to enjoy the night-time economy.

“We are in no way complacent and we will look at this report to see what additional reassurance work we can do to ensure that those visiting the city centre are not only safe be feel safe.”

A Newport council spokeswoman said: “The council is looking to create a vibrant, safe, clean and well-managed early evening and night-time economy that can help to boost the local economy by attracting visitors and stimulating culture and creative activity.

“A combination of regeneration and regulation is needed to achieve this and with Friars Walk set to open at the end of next year the council is confident that the negative perception some people have of the city centre will change.

“The opening of the new retail and leisure development Friars Walk will encourage and enable people to socialise in the city centre while regulatory control will ensure that heavy drinking, crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour is reduced.”

Alcohol Cymru’s annual alcohol conference called “Under Control?” will take place at the Riverfront on Tuesday [September 16].

It will feature a mix of representatives from local government, the emergency services, public health and substance misuse services who will examine initiatives to create safe town and city centres that are not dominated by heavy drinking.