New powers to aid Labour's crime crackdown on sleaze and booze come into force this weekend.

Regulations targeting the "nuisance and disorder" caused by public drinking and seedy phone box adverts take effect from September 1.

New powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 will, for the first time, make posting prostitutes' cards in telephone boxes a criminal offence and allow local authorities to ban drinking in public places.

"Prostitutes' cards in phone boxes are offensive and create a bad impression on young people and foreign visitors," said Home Office minister, Keith Bradley.

Police will now have the power of arrest for anyone placing an advertisement relating to prostitution in a public telephone box - a feature of life in London's west end. The maximum penalty for the offence will be a fine of up to £5000 or six months in prison.

Other measures to curb public drinking are billed as a key weapon in the fight against "yob culture".

"Local authorities will now be able to target public places where drinking in public has led to nuisance, annoyance or disorder for residents, businesses and licensees alike," Bradley said.

The new regulations will give local authorities powers to ban drinking in designated public places associated with drunken disorder. Police officers will enforce the ban and confiscate alcohol.

Bans using local bylaws are already in effect in Liverpool and Manchester and local government has welcomed the new powers.

"The Local Government Association has a keen interest in seeing public disorder dealt with effectively and is always supportive of measures to improve consistency of enforcement," said councillor Jane Chevis, chairman of the LGA's public protection executive.

"We therefore welcome the streamlining of the previously cumbersome process that local authorities had to go through if they wished to introduce bylaws to control drinking in public," she added.