POLICE and community leaders in Chipping Sodbury have joined forces to tackle late-night public disorder and criminal damage.

The new Safer Stronger neighbourhood group, launched by police at a public meeting last week, has decided its first priority is to deal with drunken pub-goers on Friday and Saturday nights.

The group, made up of police, South Gloucestershire Council, NHS and primary care trust, Avon Fire and Rescue Service representatives, town councillors and members of the public, is concerned about trouble caused in the High Street at weekends.

Chipping Sodbury neighbourhood policing sergeant Andy McIlrath, who attended the meeting last Wednesday, said there was an obvious first step to deal with the problem.

"The police would like to see a taxi rank installed outside the pubs to clear people away quickly when they close," he said.

"We would just like to see the rank in operation on Friday and Saturday nights to assist with clearing people away from the street before they cause disorder or damage to the High Street.

"The quicker we can disperse people the less chance there is of them becoming disorderly."

Police have been calling for the part-time taxi rank, which would be in operation between 6pm and 2am on Friday and Saturday nights, for more than a year but Sodbury Town Council has opposed the idea on the grounds it does not want lines painted on the road.

The proposal is, however, being considered by South Gloucestershire Council and funding for it has been included in the 2007-08 Local Transport Capital Programme.

A consultation period for the rank ends on February 8, when a decision will then be made.