OWNERS of pubs and clubs across Newport City Centre are trying to push through plans to introduce a banning list of known troublemakers. Members of Newport Pub Watch unanimously voted in favour of the scheme at their monthly meeting, which will allow door staff to identify banned customers using a list of photographs.
Currently photographs of troublemakers in the city centre can only be viewed at the pub watch meetings. advertisement However, the new system will enable the 48 participating pubs and clubs to share information if they agree to keep photographs secured within their premises and only allow staff to view them.
Licensing officer, PC Rachael Honey, from Gwent Police confirmed that a business crime partnership protocol was being set up that if agreed upon would allow the scheme to go ahead. She said: "This is still in the research and development stage and due to data protection laws photographs issued must not be on view to the public. "This is a positive step the pub watch is taking to reduce anti-social behaviour in Newport City Centre." A banning committee set up by the Newport Pub Watch will decide if a nuisance customer should be entered on to the banned list and the information then passed on to the city centre venues.
The secretary of Newport Pub Watch, John Pisani, said: "This is something all of us at the pub watch feel strongly about and we are ready to start using this scheme straight away. "Trouble in Newport City Centre is rare, but we hope to drive it down to zero if we can get this scheme in place." Iftekhar Haris, who owns Mojo nightclub in Newport City Centre, said: "What we are saying to people that come out in Newport is behave or be banned."