Who, What, Where, When and Why were all words that came to my mind when I was invited to a meeting of Pubwatch back in October 2009. For 25 years I had run my pubs as I saw fit, always putting the interests of my customers and staff as a priority. Sadly however some people seem to take pleasure in being 'Village Idiots' and like to disrupt our way of life by being violent and supplying and using drugs in our homes. Yes homes! Our pubs are our homes where decent people like to drink in a safe environment. So with all this in mind I thought let's have a go. Within no time practically every licensed premises in our area was on board, all working together to reduce assaults, thefts and abuse; to reduce illegal drug supply and use in our premises and most importantly to give each other support!

At present 28 members have signed up and we are growing all the time. The support from the police has been wonderful. Neighbourhood Specialist Officer Martin Bassom and Antisocial Behaviour Officer Marie Ingram have been extremely busy helping us to build a solid foundation and supporting us every step on the journey.

The results to date have been excellent. I feel we are well on the way to achieving our goals. Let the message go out. Pubwatch is here. Behave or face the consequences.

Let us all help each other to make our premises safe, happy places. Enjoy the weather!