Fisherman gets three years for pub fire

A fisherman has been jailed for three years for setting fire to a north Wales pub during a drunken rampage.

Dewi Stubbs, 28, of Amlwch Port, admitted setting fire to the Market Tavern in Amlwch, Anglesey, at Caernarfon Crown Court last week.

He also admitted charges of affray, damaging a police van and assaulting a police officer by spitting on him.

The court heard that Stubbs had drunk eight pints of strong lager before he started the blaze.

About 30 people were drinking at the pub.

Stubbs climbed onto the roof of the building then started the fire in a room on the first floor.

He then went to another pub and was ejected after he threw mats and trays to the floor.

CCTV footage showed Stubbs picking fights as he walked through the streets.

He grabbed one young man and punched him on the head.

He told the court he could not remember starting the fire, which caused £3,000 damage to the pub, and vowed to give up alcohol for good.

Football fans in street brawl A punch-up between rival football fans in a Cardiff pub fuelled a street brawl.

The incident, thought to involve about 40 people, started at the Royal Exchange in Cowbridge Road East, Canton, at about 10.30pm last Saturday.

It happened hours after a goalless draw between Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest at nearby Ninian Park.

An eyewitness said: "Some fans came into the pub and threw some chairs around, then the fight moved out on to the road.

None of the staff who worked for the pub were hurt, although there were some injuries among the fans."

Ex-doorman gets life for killing man A former door supervisor has been jailed for life after murdering a man outside a Kent pub on New Year's Eve 2002.

Paul Melvin John Brown, 37, was convicted last week for his attack on Marco Schiroli outside the Vineyard in Rochester.

Schiroli, 29, died from a single stab wound to his chest, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Brown, who was arrested in the Costa Del Sol, Spain, by Kent Police, had denied murder.

Man fined for ecstasy-in-mouth ploy A man who tried to smuggle ecstasy into a club by putting the tablets in his mouth, has been fined.

Leslie Andrew Hodgson, 22, admitted he bought the drugs for his own use while on a pub-crawl in Hull.

Hodgson put the bag of tablets into his mouth when doorstaff tried to search him as he entered the unnamed club, Hull magistrates heard last week.

Andrew Stirling, prosecuting, said there could have been as many as 10 tablets but Hodgson said there were six.

Hodgson was fined £160 plus £40 costs after admitting possession of a class-A drug.

He was also given a 12-month conditional discharge after he admitted possession of cannabis.

War on alcohol-fuelled trouble paying off Alcohol-fuelled violence in Hanley city centre, Staffordshire, is dropping, according to recent police figures.

Between April and December 2003, 940 incidents were recorded ­ compared to 1,025 during the same period in 2002, the statistics revealed.

Police have attributed the success to a number of measures put in place during 2003, including barriers that were erected to keep traffic out of the centre between 11.30pm and 4am, and a ban on carrying alcohol in the street.

Rugeley hosts start Pubwatch scheme A new Pubwatch scheme was launched in Rugeley, Staffordshire, last Friday.

The 29 venues included in the initiative will exchange information about troublemakers in a bid to stop alcohol-fuelled crime.

Rugeley Pubwatch co-ordinator and licensee of the Globe in Upper Brooke Street, said: "The new Pubwatch scheme will provide additional support to local licensees and support the ongoing activities of the Community Safety Partnership.