Police probe shooting

Police inquiries are continuing into a shooting incident at a Midlands pub which left a man fighting for his life. Two gunmen burst into the Bagot Arms in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, and opened fire in the bar at around 10.20pm on Tuesday, 22 October, when the pub was packed with customers. A 26-year-old from Wol-verhampton suffered serious stomach injuries and is critically ill in hospital. A 21-year-old man needed treatment for a foot injury. Police are trying to establish a motive but it is believed it could be linked with other recent shootings in the region. A spokesman said: "This incident was particularly disturbing because of the random way shots were fired across a bar with a number of customers present." A woman in her 30s has been released without charge while a man in his 20s has been released on police bail pending further inquiries. Under-age crackdown Police are cracking down on under-aged drinking in nightspots in North Staffordshire. They raided city centre venues in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, as part of an ongoing operation to tackle the problem. And they have warned licensees and club owners that similar raids will be carried out in the future until the problem is stamped out. Police said they believed that people as young as 14 were getting into some venues. Officers quizzed youngsters who did not have proof of age to discover whether they had been asked for any identification or had been served alcohol. Police Inspector Nigel Manning said the crackdown was launched in response to complaints from the public including parents concerned about their children. "We believe there could be quite a number of young people particularly girls and some as young as 14 going into bars and clubs until the early hours of the morning," he said. "In the past, we have sent out letters to licensees where there have been problems with particular premises but we are now dealing with it in a more formalised way and we hope this sends out a clear message to both licensees and under-aged drinkers." In last weekend's raid, six people suspected of being under-age were discovered. Bid to tackle drug rape West Midlands Police are targeting pubs and clubs in a new campaign warning of the dangers of drug-assisted rape. They say drinks should never be left unattended and people should never accept drinks from anyone who cannot be trusted. Revellers should also think carefully about leaving a pub or club with someone they have just met, police add. The campaign, focusing on how to stay safe when out and about, is being featured over the next eight weeks on local radio. Between 1999 and 2002, the national Drug Rape Trust reported 326 incidences of drug-assisted rape in the Midlands, with 5,049 calls nationally. Detective Chief Inspector Tim Godwin, of West Midlands Police, said: "Because of the nature of this crime, we do not believe that the number of offences accurately reflects the scale of the problem. "Drug-assisted rape is not endemic but it is occurring in the West Midlands. Our core business is community safety and we want to provide safeguards to ensure that people can socialise safely. "Where offences do occur, I would encourage people to come forward as soon as possible after the incident and report the circumstances to the police. "We don't want to tell anyone what they should or should not do when they're out and about, but what we do want isto give the most current and sensible advice so that people can make their own choices." Phone theft high in pubs More than half the 150 mobile phones stolen in the Swansea area in the past six weeks have been from pubs and clubs. Police have warned customers to be on their guard and keep their phones out of sight. A police spokesman said: "There's no doubt many mobiles go missing while people are out enjoying themselves. Women tend to leave their phones in unattended handbags while men just put them down and walk off.