Pubs adopt drug testing

Licensees in at least half a dozen police forces across the country are co-operating with police and allowing drug tests to be carried out on customers. Drug-testing equipment has been trialled in a number of forces and is now a permanent feature in the Hertfordshire Constabulary. The device can be taken from pub to pub and can detect the tiniest trace of drugs through a hand swab. It can be set to detect up to 200 different types of drugs or explosives. In Hertfordshire it has been successfully used in pubs in Potters Bar and Borehamwood. In the latest test at Woods Bar in Borehamwood, 146 customers were tested by police and 27 who gave positive readings for having been in contact with drugs were searched. One man was then cautioned for possessing cocaine. In previous tests at pubs in Potters Bar around 100 people were tested and a handful of arrests followed. Woods Bar manager Hayley Withers said that like other licensees, she was determined to keep drugs out of her pub. "I was only too happy to co-operate because no-one wants their pub to be used for drug-taking," she said. A Scottish & Newcastle Retail spokesman said that with more than 1,400 pubs throughout the country it took the problem of drugs seriously and the emphasis was on prevention. He said: "All our pub managers receive internal training on detection and prevention of drugs. We believe that local managers should identify the right solution for their locality." The testing initiative has been agreed with local pubwatch schemes and could become a regular feature of pubgoing in the county. A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said: "The beauty of the equipment is its portability and flexibility. It can be simply set up in the entrance to a pub. Obviously we don't broadcast where we are carrying out the tests but licensees have to agree with it. "We have been delighted with the co-operation of licensees who are all determined to keep drugs out of their pubs. The equipment gives a positive reading from anyone has had any contact with drugs and that could mean simply by handling a £5 or a £10 note. A positive reading just enables us to search someone." A similar device has also been trialled in Staffordshire and West Midlands Police are planning to use a machine in the city's nightclubs after gaining funding from the Communities Against Drugs initiative. Sniffer dogs have also been used in Birmingham's clubs but a West Midlands Police spokesman said the machine would give police officers more flexibility. War on weapons Metal detectors are to be used in pubs in Peterhead, north-east Scotland, in a bid to crack down on guns and knives. Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership has funded six hand-held devices which will be used by members of the local Pubwatch scheme. Crime Prevention Officer Gordon Farman said the equipment would be passed among Pubwatch members so people wouldn't get accustomed to where they were being used. "These detectors could be on any premises on any given night," he warned. "There will be nowhere which is a safe haven for people looking for trouble." Trade helps police battle Better links with the licensed trade plus more training is helping police in Swansea tackle drink-related trouble. But, Chief Insp Paul Edmunds said in his annual report, police resources were being stretched by drink-related violence, assaults and public-order offences. He said more operators were now using special hours certificates on Sundays adding to the problems which had occurred on Friday and Saturday nights. The war on drugs continued, but better intelligence gathering, improved relations with the licensed trade and more training initiatives were helping to cut drink or drug-induced violence. Chief Insp Edmunds said, however, he was concerned how two separate areas of the city ­ Kingsway and Wind Street ­ had been allowed to become dominated by licensed outlets. He said more door supervisors had been trained and registered following an intensive two-day course, but several doormen had had their registration certificates revoked for incidents of violence. Despite the problems, however, he remained confident that the objective of a safer Swansea could be achieved.