A SCHEME aimed at tackling drugs and violence in Darlington's town centre pubs and clubs is being expanded across the whole borough.

Darlington Pub Watch was launched four years ago, originally taking in the larger licensed premises before being extended to take in smaller venues.

Now the scheme - a partnership between police, the borough council, CCTV and licensees themselves - will be going Darlington-wide.

Licensees are being invited to a special event early next month to find out more and to sign up to the project, joining the 28 existing Pub Watch members.

As well as reacting to incidents in its members' premises, the Pub Watch committee also has the power to ban offenders from pubs.

Sgy Ian Martin, Darlington police's Pub Watch liaison officer, said: "The main areas that we look at are in relation to the prevention of drugs and violence on the premises.

"We go about doing that by ensuring that incidents are reported to the Pub Watch committee who look at the possibility of barring people from the premises."

Anybody barred by the committee will be barred from all member premises. This will become a bigger deterrent if more pubs and clubs join up to the scheme.

Sgt Martin said: "Pub Watch has been very successful. It's been going from strength to strength over the last four years."

The scheme also operates a crime ring, through which members are informed of incidents via the telephone.

Some premises are linked via radio to each other, to police and to closed circuit television operators.

Information such as spates of people using fake coins in gaming machines can also be passed on to non-member pubs.

The recruitment event will take place at Bar Rio, next door to the Mardi Gras night club in Gladstone Street, on Tuesday, August 6, from 7pm.