Liverpool police to hand out instant pub bans
A major step forward in the fight against alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder has been launched on Merseyside with instant pub-banning orders handed out to drunken yobs.
Drinkers arrested for alcohol-related offences now face an automatic pub ban thanks to a ground-breaking scheme launched by police and pubwatch groups in the region.
Interim Banning OrdersPolice custody sergeants at all central police stations in Liverpool and Birkenhead have been given authorisation to issue interim banning orders to drunken offenders who end up in the cells. The initiative was welcomed this week by trade groups and the National Pubwatch movement as a major advance in the fight against pub thugs.
Under the conditions of the Merseyside scheme, interim bans will remain in force until the pubwatch group meets to decide whether the order is made permanent.
Liverpool city centre licensing and Pubwatch co-ordinator Joe Curran said the scheme was designed to bar troublemakers from licensed premises as soon as they got on the wrong side of the law.
"Sometimes there can be a six-week wait until a pubwatch committee meeting is held to decide on banning orders. Now we can ensure that offenders are barred from 128 high-profile city centre venues the moment they step out of line," he explained.
North West Beer & Pub Association secretary Lee Le Clercq added: "We fully support this initiative, which we believe will help licensees weed out an unruly element which nobody wants to see in our pubs and bars."
Le Clercq was speaking at a licensees forum held in Liverpool earlier this week (Tues), where the scheme was officially launched.
Birkenhead crime reduction manager Chris King said: "We are addressing these issues in a serious and pro-active manner alongside licensees to target offenders and rid them from the
local pubs."
Trade groups welcome anti-crime and disorder initiative
Trade groups have welcomed the Merseyside initiative as a significant development in the fight against alcohol-related crime and disorder. The National Association of Licensed House Managers (NALHM), which championed the original "Ban The Thug Act" 25 years-ago, has called for interim orders to be extended to other parts of the country.
"This sends out a clear message - I hope other police forces take note and adopt the same policy, and issue photographs of banned offenders so that hosts can identify these people," said NALHM boss Dave Daly.
National Pubwatch secretary Malcolm Eidmans added: "We applaud the introduction of this scheme, which meets government aims for the reduction of crime and disorder," he said.
