An aluminium plate was nailed to the bench near Finn M'Couls pub on Stanton Road in the early hours of last Saturday.

It read: "Dole dossers' bench. Erected by Erewash Borough Council for Ilkeston's finest scum to drink the day away and intimidate the old and working class."

One of the drinkers who regularly sits on the bench, said the plaque was slightly offensive but there was nowhere else for him and his friends to go.

Little Hallam ward councillor, David Stephenson, said: "A lady rang me and told me about it on Saturday morning at about 8am. I went and had a look and decided that it had to be removed. I do get a lot of complaints from decent members of the public about the people who sit on that bench.

"It must have been someone fairly practical who did it because it was done with the sort of stamps used for identification marks. I would say it would have been a man, maybe someone who works in the metal work industry.

"We had a bench removed near the toilets on White Lion Square because it got taken over by an unpleasant group of people. Hopefully the ban we have coming in (on outdoor drinking in Erewash) will do away with this stuff."

The bench faces the grassed area overlooking White Lion Square roundabout.

Robert Parkinson, Erewash Borough Council's lead member for environment, said: "You do these things (erect benches) for the benefit of the population and people spoil it. It's a matter of bringing in the pressure to persuade people not to do it."

The landlady of Finn M'Couls pub said: "They don't bother me that much really and I walk past there quite a lot. Sometimes I feel scared when I walk past but its not bothered me so much that I feel threatened for my life.

"I get more trouble from the young kids. They sit on my fire escape doorstep where my kitchen is at the side of the pub. They leave rubbish round the door and smoke and all sorts. I've rang police and asked them to move but there's only so much you can do. I just get loads of abuse from them."

The council removed the plaque on Monday.

A ban on anti-social youths drinking outdoors was enforced at a full council meeting on September 29.

The section 13 prohibition order will give police the powers to take alcohol off anyone drinking on the streets of Erewash.

The ruling is now out for public consultation for one month, and unless objections are received, it will be in place in time for Christmas.