IN the Victorian era, Burnley was described as one of the most drunken towns in England, with more than 300 inns, taverns and hostelries.

Across the town there was a pub on virtually every corner.

Drunkeness led to gang fights, murders, garottings and burglaries and in the mid 1850s, research by local historian Steven Chapples has revealed there was only one constable,'Old William Chaffer' and a dozen watchemen, to patrol the streets.

People found drunk and disorderly, were fined five shillings, plus costs, by the magistrates, who imposed the same penalty on those who had produced watered down ale or adulterated bread.

If they could not pay the fine, they would be placed in the public stocks for six hours, which stood in front of the Old Sparrow Hawk in Church Street.In the earlier years of their use, passers by would pelt those shackled with rubbish, stones, rotten eggs and mud sometimes they would have their hair shaved off as a permanent sign of their misdeeds.

Throwing tomatoes is a myth, however, as at that time would have have been too precious a commodity to waste.

By the mid 1850s, however, the stocks had become more of a joke, with the miscreants' friends and relatives ensuring they came to no harm, so the practice was abandoned in 1865.

It is believed that in the early 1600s, there was also a whipping post, made of stone, with an iron ring and chain attached.

Poor local people who had committed minor offences or immoral acts were chained there and flogged, as were wandering beggars who were then driven out of the village hence the expression whipped from pillar to post.

Such a post can still be seen at the corner of Hind Street, 150 yards from the Sparrow Hawk.

Next to the pub was Cill Hall, which was built in 1617 as the first market house, although its basement was the village's lock up and Steve is convinced the whipping post was used to tether unruly prisoners until they could be put behind bars.

Another holding cell can still be seen behind the 18th century Swan Inn in the town centre. This was known as the black oyle' and was used to keep the miscreant in custody until the arrival of the constable, who would shackle him and take him to the cells at Keighley Green police station over the old police bridge.

In 1902, escapologist Harry Houdini escaped from one of the cells and through two doors, after being pinioned to the cell wall.