A scheme which has helped to reduce alcohol-related violence in Bingley has reached its tenth anniversary - and has been hailed as a model to others.

The Bingley and District Pub Watch scheme was set up in 1994 and has grown to boast 35 members which include pubs in the town centre and in surrounding villages.

Members meet every six weeks to pass on information about problem punters, who may cause trouble as individuals or in groups, and to share ideas about how to keep the level of problems down.

If a drinker has been banned from one pub in the scheme they are banned from them all and at its height up to 30 people have been on the unwelcome list.

PC Martin Preston, of Bingley police, said the programme had visibly reduced the amount of violence in Bingley town centre on weekends.

PC Preston said trouble-makers were initially sent warning letters but if problems continued they were banned from all pubs involved with the scheme for a year.

After the 12-month ban the case is reviewed and can be lifted or continued.

PC Preston said he believed the pub watch programme was the longest running in the Bradford district.

The scheme covers an area stretching from High Eldwick to Denholme and includes pubs in Cottingley, Crossflatts, Cullingworth, Eldwick, Gilstead, Harden and Wilsden.

PC Preston said: "There have been 30 people on the list but it currently stands at nine and for this size of area that is not bad at all. I think the low figure shows the scheme has been effective in the Bingley district." He said licensees and landlords rang each other if a banned person was seen out in the town so steps could be made to stop them causing trouble and entering other premises.

PC Preston added the pub watch scheme also acted as a "community link" and helped the police as pub owners and managers passed on other information about criminal matters in the Bingley district.

Bingley town centre manager David Dinsey said: "The Bingley pub watch scheme is a very efficient partnership that has over the years effectively reduced the number of alcohol-related incidents not only in the town centre but also in the areas where there are Bingley pub watch scheme members operating.

"Our scheme is a model that many others would like to emulate."