Information on Loughborough

Popular Pub Watch scheme in Loughborough proves its worth

Posted on 18/08/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk

2 way radios used for Loughboroughs pub watchThe Pub Watch scheme in Loughborough is helping to make the town a safe place to go out according to police and Pub Watch members.

47 of the 48 pubs and clubs in the town are members of the scheme which has been running for five years.  All of them are linked by a retail radio system which is monitored by the police and the towns CCTV operators.  Licensees and door staff use the radios to share information about people who are drunk or causing problems and they have adopted a policy that if a person is banned from one bar or club in the Pub Watch scheme they are banned from all of them.

Sergeant 1666 Ian Stone, the Loughborough town centre Sergeant, said; "The Pub Watch scheme in the town is running well and definitely helps to make the town a safer place at night.  Officers can act quickly on information they hear on the retail radios and that helps to prevent trouble before it starts.  We can also monitor any potential trouble makers on the CCTV system and tip off other licensees if they are leaving one premises and are trying to get in somewhere else.

"During the summer we are running a campaign to crack down on alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour in the town centre.  We will be carrying out extra high visibility patrols and rigidly enforcing the towns no alcohol zone."

Mark Phillips, the Manager and co-owner of Wild on High Street said; "There are lots of benefits to being a member of a Pub Watch scheme and they now exist in most major towns and villages.   It offers a great communication forum, it gives licensees a chance to meet and discuss issues and share best practice and good ideas.  It also enables us to establish good communication links with the police and PC Charlotte Dale and Sergeant Ian Stone from the town centre beat team, come to our meetings and they are both very positive.

"Loughborough is not like other towns which have a stereotypical image of being a place for binge drinking, Loughborough is not that sort of town, there are very few major incidents here and it is a good place to run a pub or club.  It is in all our interests to work together to make the town a safe place and develop a prosperous night time economy and being a member of Pub Watch is definitely the way forward."

Cllr David Snartt, Lead for Community Safety, said: "Charnwood Borough Councils Community Safety Unit fully supports the Pub Watch scheme. The scheme is ultimately about helping everybody to have safe and enjoyable nights out and not letting a minority spoil it. The scheme links directly to additional schemes which contribute to a safer town centre such as the Street Wardens, Street Marshals and the Crime Out Of Loughborough (COOL) organisation, as well as the recent surge in more professional and registered door staff."