Pubs and bars in Buxton join forces to restart Pubwatch scheme

Landlords, owners, managers and licensees have come together to reinstate Pubwatch to make the town a safer and more enjoyable night out for everyone.

The scheme is designed to present a unified approach to dealing with antisocial behaviour, drink, and drugs.

The group had its first meeting at The Sun Inn on December 7.

Sun Inn owner Mathew Blackwood said: “There are more people who come out for a drink at Christmas, and in recent weeks we have sadly seen an increase in people being spiked by injection so we needed to do something to show our customers we are putting their safety first.

“By bringing back Pubwatch it means all the night time hospitality venues will be delivering the same message and people can feel more comfortable to come out and have a good time.”There was previously a Pubwatch scheme in Buxton but it stopped around five years ago, although venues continued to communicate, even without a unified policy.

Ian Howarth from The Queen’s Head said: “We need that joined up formalised approach going forward to keep everyone safe.

"With Pubwatch it also means working closely with the police and the local authority too.

"It means if you are barred from one pub you are barred from them all.

"Some may say this is a drastic measure but we want everyone coming out for a night out to know if there is any antisocial behaviour, be that being intoxicated, or aggressive that those people will not be welcomed in any of our pubs and bars."

Pubwatch will see the venues communicating with walkie talkies and WhatsApp which Matthew said is great as it can provide instant visuals of what is happening.

He said: “With Mad Friday just around the corner we want guests to know we won’t be putting up with trouble of any kind. We know most people come out for a nice quiet drink with friends and we want that to continue and not have a few people try and ruin it.”Derbyshire Police attended the launch meeting and have given their support to the scheme.

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