FLEET Street has been picked for a £20,000 pilot study to stop it spiralling into a no-go alcohol ghetto of crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Night Vision project - funded with £10,000 each from the council and Civic Trust sponsors - aims to find ways of attracting more well-behaved people in to the town centre.

A report going to the council's licensing committee next week warns that if nothing is done, Fleet Street and John Street could descend into "a no-go area dominated by criminal elements".

"If the less savoury aspects of the town centre at night started to outweigh the attractions of socialising there, a downward spiral would develop, as the checks and balances on anti-social behaviour, mainly eyes and ears, fell away," the report says.

"The end result would be a no-go area dominated by criminal elements.

"This would certainly be a grim scenario but, of course, it could only happen if we did nothing. In reality, a lot is already planned and the Night Vision project will make a further contribution to managing the situation.

"There is a clear benefit to traders in raising the game' to avoid such an outcome.

"Improvements will be sought by agreement and by tougher enforcement."

Night Vision is to present a plan to the council to make the area safer and attract more people outside the late night, heavy drinking young crowd currently attracted to the area.

Licensing committee chairman Coun Steve Wakefield said the council was already getting tough on pubs and clubs.

"The extent of our determination to raise standards has already been demonstrated by our decision to revoke the licence held by a bar in the town centre," he said.

In September the council's licensing committee stripped nightclub mbargo of its licence after a string of problems.

Coun Wakefield said: "A range of new measures sponsored by the newly created Business Improve-ment District will build on the steps which we have already taken.

"The future for Swindon is very exciting.

"I am confident that our plans to reconstruct almost everything now standing in the central area, according to a bold vision, will make us the envy of cities up and down the country.

"I warmly welcome the partnership with the Civic Trust, which will help us to communicate our example to others."

Paul Davies, head of policy and development at the Civic Trust, said Fleet Street was typical of many of Britain's town centres.

"It suffers from a range of management problems," he said.

"Nationally, many people feel excluded from their town centres at night and important cultural and economic opportunities are missed.

"There is a danger that town centres can become drinking ghettos', dominated by a youth-orientated drinking monoculture.

"We look forward to working with Swindon Council to address this threat and to develop the full potential of the area."

Swindon licensing manager Lionel Starling said the council was looking at ways to get more people into the town centre throughout the afternoon and evening.

Among the ideas was a small music festival, but he urged anybody with suggestions to contact the council.