Stamping out the drink menace

BY NIGHT, one of Hampshire's most picturesque towns became a fighting hot spot.

Violence was rife, residents were terrified as drunken louts vomited in the street, urinated against shop doors, vandalising cars and buildings as they staggered home.

But in the last six months, the Jekyll and Hyde town of Romsey has undergone a miraculous transformation.

Drink-related crime has plummeted by more than 50 per cent and pubs once known as "rough" attract a new breed of customers.

Crucially, key troublemakers steer well clear of their former stamping ground.

It's an about-turn that has stunned pub-goers and Romsey residents, and attracted national interest.

And it's down to a scheme called Pubwatch.

Launched six months ago this week, Pubwatch marked an extraordinary crackdown on antisocial behaviour by police, pub landlords and magistrates.

Eight men have been banned from 16 town centre pubs and a further nine Romsey residents have received warning letters about their behaviour.

On Friday, the Daily Echo revealed that Lloyd McKenner had been barred from every pub in Hampshire.

The 22-year-old, of Portersbridge Street, Romsey, had an antisocial behaviour order slapped on him for two years banning him countywide from hundreds of off-licence premises and scores of restaurants - including all of them in Romsey.

Earlier this month Stuart Rawles, 22, of Tadburn Road, Romsey, was excluded from 16 Pubwatch pubs in the town by New Forest magistrates.

For Romsey publicans, the court appearances mark the end of years of trouble at the hands of town centre drinkers - and notch up more victories for Pubwatch.

Rick Steele, landlord at The William IV, in Latimer Street, said: "I banned Stuart Rawles for life and he didn't seem to like it.

"Eventually we went to court about him. Sgt Hardcastle came with us, and we got him banned."

He added: "It used to be pretty horrendous in Romsey. It was known as a fighting town, and every Friday there would be a fight somewhere. I used to ban people but they wouldn't care because they could go somewhere else.

"Now we've got customers who said they never used to come into our pub because it was so rough, but they like coming here now. We've got a good crowd now."

Pubwatch was set up in May this year by tough-talking Irish-born Sgt Barbara Hardcastle, who had just arrived at the town's police station from Basingstoke.

Seven pubs climbed on board immediately, including The Old House at Home and The Romsey Tavern.

In six months those numbers have swelled to 16 as more landlords hear about the scheme.

It has also been nominated for a Home Office Taking a Stand award by Romsey MP Sandra Gidley.

Each pub boss signs up to an agreement, promising to be responsible for the conduct of drinkers on their premises.

If a customer has drunk too much, they will be refused at the bar - and when they leave staff will trigger a ring-round system, warning other pubs to ban them at the door.

Every pub landlord in the scheme attends a meeting with Sgt Hardcastle each month.

It is here that they discuss key issues - and take official votes on persistent troublemakers.

A yes vote means the drinker's image will be added to the Pubwatch picture parade, pinned up behind the bar in participating pubs - and he or she will not be allowed on to any Pubwatch premises.

Supt Anne Wakefield, responsible for Test Valley and Eastleigh area, said: "To be barred from every pub in Romsey is a real nuisance for them. It means they have to drive elsewhere and, if they drive, they can't drink."

She said that drink-related crime had fallen "significantly" since the scheme was set up.

In the six months before May 2004, there were 37 incidents. Since Pubwatch, there have been just 15.

The scheme is backed by licensing officers, Test Valley's Council's community safety team and even New Forest magistrates have even been briefed on Pubwatch's aims.

Pubwatch chairwoman Sarah Dormer, landlady at The Old House at Home, said: "It's the best thing that's ever happened to Romsey. For the first time, the publicans are talking to each other."

Supt Wakefield added: "Although Romsey is a small place, this was a big problem that appears to have been effectively dealt with.

"I haven't heard of another scheme that's been as successful as this one. It just needs everyone to commit fully to it - and I would want to recognise the contribution of the publicans as well as Sgt Hardcastle."

The Daily Echo wanted to publish the Pubwatch poster featuring pictures of the eight banned drinkers - but the request was declined by Hampshire police who said it was "not in the public interest".