A city councilor said he wanted to ban “heroin addicts and drunks” from the city center.

Councilor Andrew Bell said he was concerned about “widespread street drinking and drug use” at a Gloucester City Council meeting on Thursday.

Mr Bell said there was a “particular problem” at Longsmith Street car park.

Community engagement cabinet member Rebecca Trimnell said: “At the end of the day they are human beings, they have problems and we need to help them.”

Mr Bell said a friend of his who works at the car park was “scared to death of going there every day”.

“It has to open in the morning and in the dark,” he said. “There must be two.

“We have to do something,” Mr. Bell said.

“These people need to be banned from downtown, because if they’re not high, they’re drunk. And we don’t need that.”

Ms Trimnell said more work needed to be done on the issue and the city council was working on a plan.

“Make no mistake, this is a problem,” she said. “I am not focused on application, but on commitment.

“I’m not one of those people who thinks we should eliminate these people from our streets.”