Caution over pubwatch Facebook move

Pubwatches are urged to be cautious about publishing names of banned individuals on social networking sites.

One pubwatch in Scotland has taken to 'naming and shaming' banned customers on a Facebook site.

A spokesman for Musselburgh and District Pubwatch told a local paper: "There are 20 names on the banned list now, but only one was added over the Christmas period, which I think shows the message is getting across.

"With the Facebook page, we checked with Lothian and Borders Police and they said as long as we didn't include personal details then it was all legal. We wanted to name and shame them and it seems to be working."

But there are concerns that the individuals named could make a libel claim against the pubwatch because of the damage to their reputation.

It also throws up the question of whether pubwatches, which are primarily concerned with keeping pubs safe, should name and shame.

The Morning Advertiser legal expert Peter Coulson said: "It's very dangerous to put information like this on Facebook, especially if it's wrong and you forget to take it down.

"Great care has to be taken when using an external website because of the potential risk of defamation and putting the wrong information out. I think that any pubwatch schemes banning people, should ensure the information is kept within the group."