A DRINKING and smoking garden has been built at a city homeless shelter in a bid to tackle antisocial behaviour.

The Oxford Night Shelter has created a yard at its Luther Street base for the homeless to drink and smoke off the streets.

Eight years ago, the shelter introduced a ‘wet room’ – an area where alcohol is allowed.

But the smoking ban – introduced in July 2007 – meant users were forced to go outside into a designated no-drinking zone if they wanted to smoke, and antisocial behaviour became a problem.

Now a walled area with benches, ashtrays and outside lights, which is big enough for about 20 people, has been completed.

Night Shelter director Lesley Dewhurst said many of the people who stood outside the entrance to the shelter were either banned from the centre, or not even homeless.

She said: “It can be quite intimidating for people to walk past, including our service users.

“There is antisocial behaviour going on out there – bullying, drug pushing.

“This is our way of saying ‘look this is what we have done to try to tackle the problem’, and anyone caught out there drinking can be moved on by the police.”

The centre used part of a £100,000 Government hostel improvement grant to build the yard and make improvements to its reception area, which managers and users worked together to design.

Last month, the Oxford Mail reported how people at the Night Shelter claimed they had moved into tents in fields around the city because of bullying, drinking and drug use at the centre.

But George Harper, who has been at the shelter for about six months, said: “Their claims were a complete and utter crock of rubbish.

“There are lots of different people, from lots of different backgrounds and ethnic groups living in here – you are going to get a difference in opinion from time to time.”

Another service user, who did not wish to be named, added: “Mainly it’s the people outside who cause the most trouble.

“The yard will be a good thing because it will be obvious who is and who is not supposed to be there.”

Iain McDiarmid, a training and education officer at the shelter, said the garden would only be accessible through the front reception.

He added: “There is a fire door for emergencies, but other than that we have complete control of who can access the yard.”

The Night Shelter said it would take firm action against those flouting the rules, and would consider banning anyone from the centre who is caught drinking in the street outside.

Ms Dewhurst added: “It now means that anyone using this building has no reason to be out there.

“If you are caught out there you suffer the consequences.”