Last updated at 16:52, Thursday, 24 January 2013

THUGS attacking bar staff were a blight on an otherwise successful festive period in Ulverston.

ZERO TOLERANCE: Dave Mackenzie, of The Sun in Ulverston, says the town’s publicans will not tolerate abuse towards staff MILTON HAWORTH REF:0287515

Landlords have reacted strongly to three separate incidents involving abuse of staff at pubs in Ulverston that took place during the Christmas and New Year period.

The five people involved have since been barred indefinitely from pubs in the town.

Dave Mackenzie, chairman of the Ulverston Licensed Victuallers Association, said he was disappointed some revellers chose to ignore the warning put out before Christmas.

Mr Mackenzie, who is also the landlord of the Sun Inn, in Market Street, said: “The LVA had made it clear in a statement in the Evening Mail that incidents of this nature would not be tolerated and anybody involved would receive a severe ban.

“The Ulverston LVA has therefore agreed to place an indefinite ban on all of the five people involved, from drinking or entering any of the public houses in membership of the Bar Watch Scheme.”

Both bar staff and door staff have been the target of abuse and the Evening Mail understands at least one of the incidents took place on New Year’s Eve. All of the people involved have been reported to the police.

All bans issued have to be reviewed every 12 months.

Mr Mackenzie said local landlords reported a number of incidents at a meeting earlier this month and were particularly concerned by the use of threatening behaviour and violence towards staff members.

In some cases, people are becoming aggressive after being told they are too drunk to enter an establishment.

Mr Mackenzie said customers are welcome to drink in Ulverston and enjoy themselves but landlords have a zero-tolerance policy on abusive behaviour.

He said the latest incidents follow another one in which an individual had been drinking in the town and was later caught having broken a shop window, causing significant damage. That individual has also been banned from entering Bar Watch pubs in Ulverston.

First published at 16:30, Thursday, 24 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk