Leominster publicans have radios ‘on HAND’
Businesses in Leominster have been given a new radio system that will keep them in touch with the police and each other to help combat alcohol-related disorder in the town, with help from West Mercia Police Authority.
West Mercia Police and the licensing trade are already working together as part of a Pub Watch project called HAND (Herefordshire Against Night Time Disorder), which aims to enhance the safety of customers, staff and visitors to the area. Now, more than 20 pubs, bars and off licences in the town can be in constant contact through the handheld radios, which have been funded by the West Mercia Police Authority and Leominster Town Council.
If a premise suffers from an incident of disorder, anti-social behaviour, crimes such as theft, banned troublemakers or underage drinkers, the staff can now quickly warn other businesses or request support. It also helps them contact officers patrolling the town as well as Herefordshire Council’s live CCTV control room, which can monitor situations and has immediate contact with the police control room.
Inspector Martin Taylor said: “Since December, police in Leominster have been actively engaged in an operation focused on policing the night-time economy in the town on Friday and Saturday nights. The aim is to make sure people visiting the town feel safe and discourage inappropriate drinking which leads to anti-social behaviour and disorder. During this period we have conducted 193 visits to licenced premises, as well as high-profile patrols, and we are seeing the benefits. The introduction of the radio system will enhance our operation, ensuring we can work closely with the licensees to make people feel safe when they are out in Leominster in the evening.”
Sue Witherstone, landlady of the Blue Note Café Bar and chair of Leominster HAND, welcomed the project. She said: “The customers know all about HAND and it’s already a good deterrent. We don’t have a lot of trouble, but if we do have some bother it’s nice to be able to keep in touch with the radio. If we have problems we can contact each other, or the CCTV office, who are really on the ball.”
Councillor Roger Hunt, mayor of Leominster, said: “We are very keen to keep the town as safe as possible and anything that makes Leominster a safer place can only be a good thing. We are very pleased to be able to support our licensed traders in this way.”
“In other parts of Herefordshire, the radios have proved to be an invaluable tool for publicans to be able to pass on information to each other. It’s also a deterrent to the tiny number of drinkers who can spoil an evening out for the sensible majority. The message is that publicans in Leominster are definitely ‘HANDs on’!”
In picture:(left to right) Insp Martin Taylor; Sue Witherstone; Cllr Roger Hunt; PC Angie Hull, Leominster Town Local Policing Team; Cllr Bernard Hunt; Debbie Stringer, Herefordshire Council’s CCTV control room.
HAND aims to enhance the safety of customers, staff and visitors to Herefordshire’s towns with businesses working in partnership with their local policing team from West Mercia Police, Herefordshire Licensing Authority and the national Pub Watch organisation.
HAND gives guidance and ownership to the licensing trade to deal with the small minority of people who drink to excess and cause disorder in and around licensed premises.
The scheme allows publicans to meet on a regular basis to discuss issues with particular troublemakers and then choosing to ban them from all premises that are part of the scheme. This is known as ‘Banned from one, banned from all’.
