Bans a thing of the past in Plymouth city centre pubs

A partnership between Plymouth city centre's Pubwatch scheme and Plymouth Against Retail Crime (PARC) has resulted in a massive improvement in behaviour on licensed premises.

New figures, released by Pubwatch, show that city centre pubs and clubs have become so safe that not one drinker has been banned by any Pubwatch member this year.

Pubwatch chairman Richard Smith (pictured) says only two incidents of bad behaviour were reported to the group this year, and, for the first time since figures have been recorded, no-one has been banned.

Mr Smith took over as manager of The Noah's Ark in Courtenay Street in 2007 becoming Pubwatch chairman in July that year.

The previous year the group had banned 29 drinkers who had misbehaved in member premises but since then reported incidents, and subsequent bans, have dropped steadily.

In 2007 28 incidents were reported and nine people banned. In 2008 there were 18 reports and six bans and last year saw just two bans from five reports.

Since 2009, following a successful pilot which involved the 34 city centre Pubwatch premises, the group has worked hand in hand with PARC and Devon and Cornwall Police licensing team and Mr Smith believes this partnership is at the heart of improvements.

Initially, PARC's business manager Paul Martin hoped the pilot would help its members, the retailers of Plymouth, to stop shoplifters using city centre pubs as what he describes as "unofficial supermarkets where they could sell their ill-gotten gains".

This quickly had the desired effect but, during the process, it was identified that pubs and clubs were each banning troublemakers but not sharing the information.

PARC's major strength is that, if a member bans a shoplifter, a photograph of the offender is circulated to other members ensuring the ban is all-encompassing and it was felt a similar scheme for pubs and clubs would give licensees and managers even tougher measures to deal with antisocial drinkers.

To encourage support for the scheme Sergeant Martin Worthington, from the police licensing team, made a successful funding application to the Home Office so all city pubs and clubs can join PARC absolutely free.

"The management of each Pubwatch premises retains the right to deal with a problem customer in whichever way it feels fit," said Mr Smith. "It may be that someone needs a quiet word about their behaviour but if someone is violent or extremely threatening it can lead to them being banned by Pubwatch.

"This information is then passed to the PARC board for consideration and, if they choose to, the perpetrator can be excluded from all premises and their photograph is circulated to all members."

The success of the city centre pilot has lead to the vast majority of Plymouth's pubs and clubs, 90 out of 116, taking the opportunity to join PARC and, from a police perspective, not joining sends its own message.

"A month or so ago there were two stabbings outside pubs in Plymouth and both venues are not members," said Sergeant Worthington. "I am sure we will be visiting those venues in the near future to explain the scheme's benefits to the managers."

Mr Smith feels The Noah's Ark is a prime example of how the measures taken have improved Plymouth's leisure economy.

"I have been in the pub trade since the 1980s and I can honestly say that, by partnership working, the culture has been changed and my pub is as ‘normal' as it is ever going to be," he said.

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