As the new Nightsafe initiative to crack down on binge drinking is launched today in South Durham and Darlington, rural publican Andy Power, who helped set up a Barnard Castle's Pub Watch scheme, tells David Roberts how he hopes it will work

THE fall-out from binge drinking is most commonly associated with busy town and city centres.

However, landlord Andy Power, who runs the Black Horse in Barnard Castle, believes in rural areas the impact of anti-social behaviour can be as bad, if not worse, than in the towns.

Today, the Nightsafe initiative is being launched in south Durham and Darlington in an attempt to curb excessive drinking by men aged 18 to 24.

The campaign will feature pictures of scantily-clad women warning men to drink inside their limits and walk away from trouble.

The adverts will be displayed on buses, beer mats andtip cards and posters will also be distributed to pubs and clubs, as well as beer mats and tip cards.

Andy Power, the chairman of Barnard Castle and District Licensees' Association, has welcomed the campaign.

He said: "In our last two meetings we've talked about this extensively with the police.

"It's a good idea and I hope it works. It's aimed at young people and we'll all be putting the posters up in the pubs."

The licensees' association also incorporates the town's Pub Watch scheme, which Mr Power helped set up.

The scheme has 23 active members and works closely with the police.

Troublemakers barred from one pub are also barred from every pub in the scheme.

It also operates its own identity card scheme, which aims to prevent underage drinking.

Mr Power said he hoped the Nightsafe initiative would be able to work alongside the Pub Watch scheme to reduce binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour.

He added: "We don't want that kind of behaviour, especially with the new licensing laws. It's a small town and if something does happen then everybody lives nearby, whereas in Darlington most people are in the town for a night out.

"Here in the town we've got accommodation as well as pubs and so any incident affects everybody.

"Everybody's got licences to uphold so we can't tolerate drunken behaviour or fighting."

* Tomorrow, The Northern Echo will report on the formal launch of the scheme at the Redworth Hall Hotel, near Darlington.