SEVENTEEN Oxford Pubs have teamed up with police to crack down on troublemakers in the run-up to the World Cup.

They have joined forces to form the new OX3 Pubwatch to keep watch for punters who break the law and do not act responsibly inside their watering holes.

So far, the pubs have signed up to the voluntary scheme to help create a safer drinking environment in all licensed premises in the area.

Anyone who steps out of line could be barred from all the pubs if every member landlord agrees.

Pcso Stephanie Burras, who has organised the initiative with colleague George Dean, said: “It’s so we can keep antisocial behaviour down and alcohol-related crime down.

“It’s not massively bad, but during the summer and with the World Cup, we felt it was really important to get something in place and try to carry it on afterwards.

“The amount of calls we’ve had to pubs has decreased and we are also getting a lot of intelligence about things like drugs which is going to benefit us.

“The landlords think it will benefit their business and keep all the people who cause trouble away.

“People don’t want to go to a pub if there’s trouble.”

So far, no one has been barred from the 17 pubs, although landlords will meet again in June to discuss any potential offenders.

Landlord of the Six Bells, in Beaumont Road, Headington, Roy Dangerfield, formerly landlord of the Butchers Arms, Headington, said: “We have a ring-round system where we phone the other pubs and let them know if we have a problem and they might be heading their way.”

He said the publicans would not tolerate violence, drug taking or drug dealing and warned anyone caught would be barred from all 17 pubs, on agreement with the members.

Mr Dangerfield, who has been in the pub trade for 30 years, added: “It’s hard enough at the moment getting customers into the pubs when alcohol is so cheap in supermarkets. If we can keep the rubbish out then hopefully the nicer people will come and use the premises.”

Similar pubwatch schemes operate in East Oxford and the city centre.

Across Oxfordshire, pubs run 16 schemes, covering the main county towns and villages.

Headington used to have a Pubwatch scheme but police said it had dwindled away in recent years.

Insp Ned Qureshi, of the Headington police team, said: “The idea behind it is just to have reassurance for the publicans and they will work together and try to reduce drunkeness and antisocial behaviour.

“It’s a bit of a deterrent.”

  • Pubs which have joined the OX3 scheme so far are the Six Bells, Mason’s Arms, White Horse, Britannia, Royal Standard, White Hart, Crown and Thistle, The Chequers, The Butchers Arms, and The Quarry Gate in Headington, and The Cavalier, The Somerset, The Jack Russell, The Red Lion, The Bricklayers Arms, The Three Horseshoes, and The Victoria Arms, in Marston.