Licensees in Bedford have set up a working group in a desperate bid to curb alcohol-related crime.
The initiative titled "Bedsafe" calls for licensees, police and the local council to work together to ensure that Bedford is a safe place to live and go out.Most of the town's crime occurs at night as people leave pubs, either to go home or to continue to a club, an expert said.
Bedford-based brewer Charles Wells is heavily involved in the scheme. Chris Nicholls, head of retail, recruitment and training for the company, said: "From 11pm onwards there is more alcohol-related violence than at any other time of the day. This is because everybody comes out of the pubs at 11.20pm, there are no taxis and there are very few police officers around."
Members are hoping the scheme will:
- encourage licensees to work together so that they can ban troublemakers from all pubs
- avoid promotions that encourage binge-drinking
- train staff so that they can recognise excess alcohol and drug use
- establish additional transport and taxi ranks
- increase police presence on the streets.
Meanwhile, the working group is also looking to appoint a project manager to ensure the safe running of the scheme and to liaise with councillors, licensees and the local police on licensing when the new legislation is in place next year.