Last updated 13:12, Wednesday, 20 August 2008

FOR the majority of adults across Furness, an evening out at a bar, pub or restaurant can be the perfect opportunity to relax and socialise with a drink. For a minority, however, a nightb out in the area can lead to vandalism, drug abuse, violence and other forms of anti-social behaviour. MOLLY MLYNCH reports

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FOR years, pub landlords and owners of licensed premises have attempted to combat bad behaviour in their establishments, but the problem continues to grow.

This month, police and licensees have joined forces and come up with a new scheme which will crack down on offenders who repeatedly terrorise our nightspots.

Furness Bar Watch has been set up to replace Barrow Bar Watch, which ended in December 2007.

Andy Nixon, licensing officer for Barrow Borough Council, has worked with a team of police officers and pub and club landlords on the initiative, with the vision of making a night out in Furness a much safer experience.

She said: “Furness Bar Watch has developed using best practice from all our other local bar watch schemes, making it bigger and better.

“Together we are making the Furness area a more enjoyable place to have an evening out, while putting the message across to offenders that licensed premises will not tolerate anti-social behaviour of any kind.

“The Police Licensing Section will continue to work with the trade, liasing with them on a regular basis.”

The launch of Furness Bar Watch has also seen off-licences, Barrow Railway Station and Furness General Hospital join the new scheme.

There are around 60 members of Furness Bar Watch and that number looks set to expand.

Barrow’s previous bar watch scheme was criticised for being inconsistent when dishing out bans to offenders, which could be anything from three to 18 months long.

The new system has been streamlined so that Furness Bar Watch will give out either a six-month or a year-long ban.

Mrs Nixon said that the bans will be given only to people who have committed a serious offence, or those who repeatedly behave in an unacceptable manner in licensed premises.

She said: “The bans will be given out to people who we feel are a threat to the safety and happiness of others.

“Under the old scheme, there were a few people who received bans as the result of a one-off, isolated incident where they have just drank too much and been disorderly.

“But we won’t be banning people for that sort of thing any more.”

Mrs Nixon insists that Furness Bar Watch will not be “going soft” on offenders in comparison to the previous scheme, they are simply bringing a fresh approach.

She said: “Even if an individual is not excluded by the scheme, every licensee has the right to refuse service to any individual on a civil basis, but what the members do is share this information with each other.

“In order to place a ban on an individual, members have to come to an agreement to exclude entry to their premises of any individual who causes violence, or is violent, both physical and verbally, or causes a nuisance to either bar staff or patrons, or is dealing or caught with any kind of drug.”

The information will be shared between members through newsletters.

A photo file of each person placed on Furness Bar Watch will be kept for members’ use only, to ensure that those who have been banned stay out of clubs, pubs and shops.

Mrs Nixon believes that the new initiative will serve as a deterrent to drinkers to stop them committing anti-social acts.

She said: “Hopefully this will make them think twice before they go out.

“They should imagine how being excluded can affect your life, not being able to go for a drink with friends and colleagues after work or on a night out, go to the pub with mates to watch the match, or attend a family christening or wedding, for up to 12 months or even longer.”

Barrow PCSO Cathy Hayes is a police representative for Furness Bar Watch.

She said: “The new scheme is much better than the old one.

“It gives us the power to punish the individuals who we believe are a real threat to the safety of others and the enjoyment of a person’s night out.

“The scheme isn’t there to spoil people’s fun, it’s there to help make sure people can have fun in a safe environment.”