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Posted by: Bofem Jan 13 2011, 07:22 AM

Following on from the CCTV debacle, I thought forum readers may be interested to be keen to learn that the town Pubwatch scheme is in some disarray.

Apparently, the former Pubwatch chairman has moved to pastures new and taken all the records with him of who's banned from the town pubs!

It obviously doesn't mean thugs aren't getting barred from pubs, just that there's no blanket ban in operation. I recall this is supposed to be a major tool in crime fighting.

Anyway, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346214/Conwy-council-waste-money-employing-actors-play-drunks-catch-bar-staff.html

Posted by: Richard Garvie Jan 13 2011, 08:05 AM

The amount spent is almost what West Berks paid for that budget simulator excercise!!! Complete waste of money.

Pubwatch is vital, and I know at one stage they were struggling to find people for the committee. Is there no way that the former chairman can be persuaded to hand over those details? Surely the information belongs to the scheme, so by having it in his possesion breaks data protection and is technically theft? Again, what you are saying on here has to be verified first, but if true I would think that the police could use their powers to get that information back.

Posted by: Bofem Jan 13 2011, 08:24 AM

Don't tell anyone, but that's exactly what they're trying to do. However, the pubs in Newbury have been told that the Pubwatch list is out of date, and there will be a new one soon. This is not quite the whole truth

Posted by: Richard Garvie Jan 13 2011, 08:26 AM

How can they make "a new one", if they don't have the details of everyone on the old list?

Posted by: blackdog Jan 13 2011, 10:15 AM

How come the former chairman is the only one with the list?

What is the point of the list if it isn't shared by all licensees?

Posted by: Bloggo Jan 13 2011, 10:23 AM

This is daft. You can see the list of those banned pinned up behind the bar in some pubs. Is the chaimans list different from these and if so, why?

Posted by: dannyboy Jan 13 2011, 10:27 AM

Come on Blackdog, don't ruin the thread by stating the obvious.

Posted by: Richard Garvie Jan 13 2011, 10:47 AM

I agree to a point, but the list at the door in one local nightclub hasn't been updated since the end of 2009 the last time I saw it. Wasn't that the last time Pubwatch updated the list?

Posted by: Iommi Jan 13 2011, 10:51 AM

If the list ain't kept up to date, that might be a breach of the DPA on its own.

Posted by: Bloggo Jan 13 2011, 10:56 AM

If the list isn't being kept up to date and the bars and clubs are excepting this status then there seems little point in having it at all. I thought this was aservice instigated by the pubs and clubs to go some way to protect them and their sensible clients from the hooligans.
All seems a little inept to me.

Posted by: Richard Garvie Jan 13 2011, 11:00 AM

As far as I understand it, Pubwatch has struggled through 2010 trying to get a committee back in place etc. I find it hard to believe that one single person would have the Pubwatch database. Isn't it supposed to be done from the Police station or an appropriate premise? Surely you can't have something like that on a personal computer for instance?

Posted by: user23 Jan 13 2011, 01:18 PM

Sounds like it isn't needed any more, perhaps it wasn't in the first place.

As for the original post, a record of who's banned from the town pubs is displayed in all participating establishments. That's how it works!

Posted by: Richard Garvie Jan 13 2011, 01:25 PM

There's a bit more to it than that, the radio links for a start. It's nice to see it getting on back on track, 2010 was an indifferent year due to people leaving etc. Pubwatch does a great job. We are just lucky that we don't get too many incidents in comparison to other places.

Posted by: Iommi Jan 13 2011, 01:27 PM

Pubwatch has been great. Lots of Newbury 'hoolies' and the like, no-longer infest the town.

Posted by: dannyboy Jan 13 2011, 01:37 PM

maybe that is because the character of the town has not changed over the last few decades?

Posted by: Iommi Jan 13 2011, 02:24 PM

...or perhaps it has!

Posted by: dannyboy Jan 13 2011, 02:27 PM

for the better!

Posted by: Iommi Jan 13 2011, 02:37 PM

As you have demonstrated else where on this site, that is a subjective POV!

Posted by: user23 Jan 13 2011, 10:21 PM

I wonder if they'll be more incidents this weekend?

Posted by: Bofem Jan 14 2011, 01:18 PM

What's it got to do with the police? They attend the meetings, but AFAIK it's just to be aware of public order issues.

Pubwatch is a non-judicial 'court' that hears the evidence of the behaviour of certaiin individuals (often in absentia!) and metes out a ban for a fixed length of time.

I believe the most recent chairman had all the paperwork to do with this, including dates when the bans expire.

I know of several local gadgies who've been banned from one pub, but there's no current mechanism to ban them from all.

It could be easy to recreate the list though. Start with Diamond Tap smoking area!

Posted by: Iommi Jan 14 2011, 02:43 PM

Also, if they are drinking in the LSB, they're not on Pubwatch either!