Hooligans face a ban

Pub troublemakers are set to be banned from a city centre as part of a new clampdown. Up to 30 banning orders are set to be issued in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, over the next few weeks in a bid to make the city centre safer. The city's Nightlife Partner-ship, which is made up of police, local businesses and the city council, plans to issue the orders to anyone involved in disorder over the past few months, even though they may not yet have been convicted of a crime. Those issued with orders will be barred from 13 pubs and clubs run by partnership members in the city centre. The move is one of a range of measures being introduced by the partnership to improve safety. Inspector Bill James, of the city-centre policing unit, said: "The banning orders will form a significant part of our plan to stamp out violence in the city centre. We are in the process of establishing which people will be banned based on their past behaviour and any previous convictions." Hanley attracts thousands of revellers at weekends and licensed outlets keep in touch via a radio-link scheme. Project leaders intend to circulate photographs of the troublemakers to licensees to aid identification. Police hunt ram-raiders Police are investigating after thieves stole an off-road vehicle and used it to ram-raid two pubs in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. They stole vending machines from the Crown, in Ley Hill, and then 30 minutes later took cash from the Red Lion, in Red Lion Street, last Monday. Armed raid shocks staff Pubs in the West Midlands are being warned to be vigilant after bar staff were held up by armed men during a terrifying raid on a rural pub. Three masked men pounced on four employees ­ three of them female ­ as they left the Hare and Hounds pub in Keres-ley, near Coventry, at 1.30am last Wednesday. Part owner Neil Collins had just locked up for the night and saw the robbers pointing guns at his staff through the window. "It all happened so quickly, " he said. "They jumped on the staff as they walked through the car park. I heard them scream, so I started looking for the key to the door, which was locked. "I saw the look of terror on the girls' faces as the men held a gun to their heads. One of them pointed the gun at me and shouted at me to open the door." Collins immediately ran inside the premises and called the police. The three attackers sped off in a silver saloon car, leaving the staff terrified but uninjured. The pub has since improved its security lighting. Collins warned other pubs in rural locations to review their security. "We are surrounded by green fields and I would warn other pubs like us to be vigilant," he said. "The staff and myself are very shaken up by what's happened. "It is worrying to think these people targeted us, waiting outside until closing time. It's made us feel a bit exposed." Anyone with information should call the confidential Crimestoppers number on 0800 555111. Violent acts hit pubs A pub company boss has blamed a string of violent incidents in a north west town centre for decimating business at six of his venues in the area. Inventive Leisure chief, Roy Ellis, said trade at Ashton-under-Lyne pubs in Greater Manchester had never recovered from a crime wave last year. Ellis revealed sales at the company's non-branded pubs in the town had dipped, with EBITDA figures showing a drop from £510,000 to £150,000 over half-yearly trading. He said: "There were a number of serious incidents 12 months ago, including murders and a stabbing which hit town-centre pub trade. People were simply not coming into the town because of the problems and there is still a knock-on effect on trade." The six pubs form only a small proportion of Inventive's overall business and will account for just 1% of profits this year. The vast bulk of Inventive's trade comes from its expanding chain of Revolution branded bars. The company says it is pledged to keep the six pubs open in the hope that efforts to revive the town-centre economy leads to an improvement in trading.