A FAMILY-RUN newsagent has urged other shops to get behind a campaign to keep low-cost super-strength alcohol off Clacton shelves.

The resort has suffered from an increase in drink-fuelled antisocial behaviour and streetdrinkers in the town centre this year.

The problem led to Tendring Council and Essex Police launching a Reducing the Strength initiative.

They asked 23 town centre shops and off-licences to sign up, but so far only 12 have got on board.

One of the first businesses to sign up to the campaign has called on fellow shopkeepers to back the scheme.

Some shopkeepers, including the manager of Bootleggers, in Wellesley Road, said he would carry on stocking superstrength booze because it was not against the law and the business made more money out of them than other drinks.

Nigilan Anandan, of Clacton News, in Rosemary Road, said: “Most of the alcoholics buy super-strength beer.

“It is cheap and they get drunk as cheaply as they can.

“We want to encourage all the other shops to sign up to this, although we know a couple won’t take part.

“It is not all about profit. We are part of Clacton and this is good for the community – we want to play our part and help make Clacton safer."