BENCHES have been stripped from a popular Winchester meeting place after a spate of violence and anti-social behaviour.

Businesses outside Kings Walk said a group of loiterers would fight, drink, urinate and throw objects by the benches surrounding the bricked-up fountain.

Ian Ball, who manages the indoor market, said the gang sold drugs and intimidated would-be customers for years before the benches were removed last week (October 9).

“You name it, they’ve been doing it out there,” he said. “The police are here every five minutes.

“Everyone that walks down here asks ‘oh, that must be horrible for you.’ We still get it now a little bit.”

He said the group now congregate under the shop’s awning when it rains, causing further disruption for trade.

A Winchester City Council spokesman said the group was drinking, urinating, swearing and vomiting on “all the benches every afternoon.”

He added: “When vacant the benches were being smeared with tomato ketchup and other liquids. In partnership with the police the city council acted to put in place a number of enforcement and other actions to deal with the problem.”

The council has received one complaint since the benches were removed.