THUGS and troublemakers in Tyldesley pubs face a drinks ban over Christmas and New Year.

The town's concerned Pubwatch members have banded together to impose the festive threat on trouble makers.

From now, anyone causing problems will automatically find themselves banned from every pub and wine bar in Tyldesley, Astley and Mosley Common over all the festive season.

And licensees are also looking at the possibility of having video cameras installed to film trouble makers.

Their pictures would then be available to any pub landlord or landlady to positively identity the loony fringe who make life unpleasant for other drinkers.

And in even closer co-operation with police, a member of the Drugs Squad was a guest at this month's meeting of Pubwatch.

The officer lectured the group on the various drugs available through pubs, and showed them samples in addition to advising them on techniques used by drug pushers and users.

Secretary Margaret Knowles said: "We all take violence, trouble makers and drug use in our pubs and wine bars very seriously indeed and we intend to continue to work together to stamp it out.

"We already work very closely with local police and intend to make sure than anyone causing trouble in our bars between now and Christmas will find themselves banned from every pub in the town for the whole of the Christmas and New Year period, and maybe even beyond that.

"We hope troublemakers take heed that they won't be tolerated in Tyldesley, and since our membership now covers Astley and into Mosley Common as well, they will find themselves out in the cold there as well.

"We are looking into the possibility of making pictures available to each other of those who cause problems, and a video camera in each pub and bar may be the answer which would also be evidence in cases of prosecutions. So thugs, you have been warned!"

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