ALTHOUGH Friday nights are generally the quieter ones in Darlington, it's just a week before Christmas and the town centre looks pretty busy.

It's the first night of a new Pub Watch initiative to crack down on under-age drinkers and I'm out on patrol with Sergeant Dave Kirton and the rest of the town centre beat team.

The team's job is to patrol the streets and be on-hand to respond to incidents, using a radio system which links them not only to the police station, but also to every town centre night spot included in the scheme.

It also links all the pubs, so they are kept informed of anyone who is causing trouble or suspected to be under-age.

The link radio is monitored by Darlington Borough Council's CCTV control room and is used in conjunction with the town's CCTV system.

Pub Watch also means that when someone is barred from one pub in the scheme, they are barred from them all.

From now on, licensed premises in the Darlington borough area will challenge anyone who looks under 21 to prove they are 18. The only accepted forms of identity will be a photocard driving licence, a passport or recognised proof of age card.

As we are driving past Cactus Jack's and Sports Bar, in Commercial Street, a message comes through informing the team that there are two girls who have just been turned away from the door and are heading across a nearby car park.

The team spots them, talks to them and sends them home. The girls are about 15-years-old.

Another first for the team is a high-tech digital video camera, which is worn on the head. This enables police to collect evidence on anti-social behaviour and, unlike CCTV, the camera also picks up sound.

Although the force does not yet have any of these cameras, one has been loaned to the team by Up Front, the company which provides door staff to many of the town centre venues.

Another message comes through on the radio - a teenage house party in the North Road area, which has got out of hand. We arrive, flashing lights and sirens, to see about 15 or 20 youths pour out of the house.

Police talk to the occupiers - a 16-year-old left home alone - and after confiscating alcohol and seeing everything has calmed down, we leave. They will call back later to speak to the teenager's mother.

Back on patrol, we are shown a perfect example of how Pub Watch works - a man, who is a known trouble-maker, being refused admission to every night spot in the scheme. He eventually gives up and goes home.

The house party has flared up again and police attend to see several teenage girls outside the house.

They are searched for alcohol but none is found. One girl, who is particularly rowdy, swearing and shouting at the officers, is put in the back of the van and taken home.

Back on the beat and an assault has taken place in Skinnergate. A man has been punched in the face. The patrol vehicle immediately speeds off to find the suspected assailant, who is still thought to be in the area.

A man is arrested on suspicion of assault, but the victim decides he does not want to make a complaint. However, thanks to some choice language and belligerent behaviour, the officers decide to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly.

By now it is 1am and although I get to go home to bed, the team will be out for at least another two hours until their shift ends.

If this is a quiet night, I certainly won't be volunteering to go out on a busy one.