In a dramatic change in policy, Barnet's new police Chief Superintendent Mark Ricketts says he will personally help enforce the new alcohol-free zones when they start next Tuesday.

Drinking on the street will be banned in the three zones in Finchley Central, North Finchley and Hendon Central. The zones are designed to stop drinkers intimidating passers-by in the town centres and curb anti-social behaviour and ticket-touting outside Tube stations.

Former borough commander Chief Supt Sue Akers had feared that enforcing the three zones would be too great a drain on police resources, forcing officers to be taken off other duties.

But Chief Supt Ricketts is throwing his weight behind the zones, which he says were used to good effect in Haringey, where he worked before coming to Barnet.

"I've never asked an officer to do something I wouldn't do myself and I will be up enforcing the alcohol-free zones myself.

"We will provide a graded response to enforce them. We had two alcohol-free zones in Haringey in Wood Green and in Tottenham High Road near the Spurs ground and they reduced crime," he said.

Councillor Brian Coleman, cabinet member for the environment, said: "I'm very encouraged by the positive attitude from the new borough commander. It's a new dawn."

And Chief Supt Ricketts added that alcohol-free zones were just part of managing alcohol-related disorder to improve quality of life Barnet Council is also getting more power to set licensing hours for pubs and clubs.

"The new Licensing Act is starting this year. It's deregulation and the people behind it see us as being capable of moving to a Continental-style of drinking.

"But there's more than one type of Continental drinking there's Paris cafe-style drinking and Faliraki-style drinking.

"My concern is that it doesn't turn into Faliraki-style drinking," he said.

Concerns persist that street drinkers may simply relocate to the edge of the booze-free zones or onto residential streets.

Some street drinkers agree the ban will clean up town centres. But drinkers at Hendon Central Tube station have warned that junkies could turn to mugging or burglary if they are denied the opportunity to make money by selling used travelcards.