A LIST of the five most violent pubs in Blackburn has been drawn up by police and licensing officials as part of a crackdown on drink-related crime.

Landlords at the problem venues have been given help and support, with regular visits from police and an action plan to improve behaviour.

Almost 60 bars and clubs have been visited in the town in the last year and police chiefs say progress is being made.

Figures suggest a 13 per cent fall in assaults using glasses and bottles.

The moves were revealed when town centre policing was discussed at last night's Lancashire Police Authority Blackburn with Darwen Community Meeting at Blackburn Town Hall.

Detective Superintendent Neil Smith said: "Hopefully, you won't now see people walking round the streets with bottles and glasses.

"While there might be a lot of people on the streets at 3am, we are very keen to rule out that sort of behaviour."

Coun Florence OIdfield thought the ban on street drinking introduced last year helped and Det Supt Smith agreed.

He said: "I've worked in Blackburn on-and-off for 29 years.

"When I came back, I was quite horrified at people wandering about with bottles and glasses.

"But now, there is quick intervention.

"They're told to go back to the pub or put the glass into a proper container."

Community Safety Partnership manager Sharon Kemp said: "There has been a 13 per cent reduction on assaults with glasses and bottles in the last 12 months.

"Licensees are aware of the issues and are using more plastic glasses.

"We have visited 56 premises and are aware of the hotspots, such as taxi ranks, streets and corridors where people go."

She declined to name the pubs identified as the worst as work is continuing.

But she said: "The perception of the town centre is getting better. It has the less violence than Chorley and Preston."

Edna Arnold, of Livesey and Pleasington Parish Council, asked if Blackburn's drunken disorder was anything like Nottingham's, as shown on the BBC Panorama programme on Sunday.

And she asked what happened to outlying areas at weekends, when the focus was on the town centre.

Det Supt Smith said Blackburn's problems were far less serious than Nottingham's.

He said that while weekend work had to be prioritised, outlying areas still had specific officers.

Extra officers were put in the town centre, but not at the expense of other areas.