Pubdate: Thu, 27 Mar 2008
Source: Weston & Somerset Mercury, The (UK)
Copyright: 2008 Archant Regional Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4630

CRACKDOWN ON DRUGS IN CLEVEDON'S NIGHT SPOTS

Pub owners will be watching the number of times customers use their
toilets in a bid to stamp out drug abuse on their premises.

Clevedon Pub Watch, which was set up three years ago, is launching a
new campaign called Pubs Against Drugs (PADs) to rid night spots of
illegal substances.

Watering holes in Clevedon will be cracking down on drug dealers and
users and warning offenders they will be banned.

The Pub Watch scheme, which was set up by Clevedon PCSO Linda
Richards, has seen 41 people excluded from pubs in the town for
violent behaviour, theft and antisocial behaviour.

Pubs who have signed up to the initiative are now focusing their
efforts on driving drug dealers out of their premises.

One of the more common drugs used in pubs is cocaine and landlords
will be making sure their staff are more vigilant and carrying out
regular checks to ensure the substance is not being taken on site.

Charles Richards, landlord of the Royal Oak, in Copse Road, said: "The
issue of drugs in pubs is a national problem.

"Drugs are relatively easily available and we want to stop people
using and dealing them in pubs.

"We regularly check our toilets to make sure nothing untoward is going
on and we monitor people in the pub. If they are going in big groups
to the toilets or using them every 10-15 minutes we will
investigate."

Landlords will also be putting up notices warning people about the
dangers of drugs including information on where users can go to get
help.

Mr Richards added: "It's not just about catching people, we want to
help them as much as we can as well."

More than 70 per cent of pubs in the town have signed up to the Pub
Watch scheme which enables landlords to ban people from their premises.

Anyone banned from one watering hole is banned from all pubs in the
scheme and members meet up once a month to discuss who to bar and
issue the latest list of offenders to each landlord.

Offenders are given a chance to appeal against their ban. So far, only
five people have been banned for life.

PCSO Linda Richards said: "Pub Watch has been hugely successful in
reducing the amount of alcohol related calls and incidents within pubs
across Clevedon.

"The fear of the exclusion is a huge deterrent to people and, although
not 100 per cent infallible, has worked really well.

"It also shows that the licensees are keen to protect and value their
staff and customers.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin