Munich, home of the Oktoberfest, to open alcohol-free beer garden

Die Null is part of efforts to cut antisocial behaviour in city seen as global centre of beer drinking

Munich, home of Germany's world-renowned Oktoberfest beer festival, will on Thursday open its first alcohol-free Biergarten (beer garden) in a nod to changing consumption habits among the party set and growing frustration with public binge drinking.

Die Null (The Zero) near the Bavarian capital's main railway station will serve its patrons exclusively soft drinks, mocktails, juices, water and non-alcoholic beers in an attempt to strip the area of its boozy, seedy image.