CONCERN that people are drinking alcohol at Fisherrow beach when there are children around has been raised at a meeting of Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council.

Ward councillor Stuart Currie said that people were sitting on the wall at the Back Sands drinking alcohol, adding: “There are children wandering around and there is a playpark there.”

He suggested that some kind of signage needed to be installed by the council to let people know that it was covered by a by-law banning public drinking.

He also feared bottles could be smashed.

PC Fiona Harrison agreed that signs were important.

She said visitors might not realise Musselburgh was covered by a drinking by-law.

She added that Ladies Day at Musselburgh Racecourse was a “nightmare” as visitors came from lots of areas and drank in the street, not knowing about the by-law.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said offenders risked a fine of up to £500 for breaching the by-law, adding: “The area covered includes the beach at Fisherrow.

“All of the alcohol by-laws were renewed for a further 10-year period last year.

“Signage was put in place when the by-laws were first introduced in 2008 and there are no plans currently for further signage.”+