A NEW scheme aimed at cutting alcohol-related disorder has been launched in part of Burnley.

Culverts Against Alcohol Related Disorders (CAARD) was formed this week between pubs in the Yorkshire Street and Todmorden Road area.

So far, seven pubs have signed up to the scheme which will see trouble-makers barred from all the pubs taking part.

Those involved are the Turf Hotel, Cog and Spindle and Thorpe's, all on Yorkshire Street, The Wellington and The Forester's Arms, Todmorden Road, The Oxford Pub, Temple Street and The Corporation Hotel, Oxford Road.

It will work along similar lines to the successful town-centre safety scheme BAND, although the two organisations are not linked.

BAND -- which stands for Burnley Against Night-time Disorder -- was launched in November 2000 by the police and town centre management team to reduce incidents of violent disorder and criminal damage.

It has now been recognised nationally and is featured in a national best practice booklet and on their website for the information of police authorities.

Last year, it was entered in the Securicor British Community Safety Awards, organised by Crime Concern and made the top 40 best crime reduction initiatives and a certificate of merit.

The idea behind the scheme was that everyone involved in acts of serious assault, violence, drugs supply or use, inside or outside licensed premises, would face a year's ban from the town centre.

In the first year more than 50 people were banned.

The scheme has now been extended to cover taxis, in a bid to protect the drivers from assault or abuse.

Mike Igoe, chairman of the Burnley Licensed Victuallers Association and landlord of the Forester's Arms, said the pubs involved had started to hold regular meetings and would be taking action against troublemakers from now on.

He added: "Although BAND has had a positive effect in the town centre, one of the side-effects has been to force troublemakers out to the outlying pubs, so we felt the need to start our own scheme to tackle the problem."

Landlady of the Oxford Sheila Edwards, added: "I have been in the pub for about 14 months and during that time we have gone a long way to restoring the pub's reputation and I don't want to see that good work undone, so joining the scheme was an important step."