A CRACKDOWN on troublemakers in Skipton's pubs has been hailed a success making the town a "safe" place to drink .

In just over six months, the Skipton Licensees' Association claims it has transformed the town by joining forces and banning customers who cause trouble from all their pubs.

Two people, given temporary bans, are back on their best behaviour and two more are on life bans.

Drinkers are now acutely aware that offences, including abusing staff physically or verbally, and fighting with other drinkers, will result in serious consequences.

In total, 98 per cent of the town's pubs and clubs have joined the association and if a person is banned from one pub they are banned from them all.

A spokesman for the association said since word had got round about the punishments, the number of incidents inside pubs had dropped dramatically.

"People come from Burnley, Keighley, Bradford and Ilkley because they feel safe drinking here and know they are going to have a good time," he said.

"I think we have created a good atmosphere by banding together. Customers know that we are all sticking together and that if they are banned from one pub there will be nowhere else for them to go. People know we are going to take action and I think that has made some of them stop and think."

The association was formed following several incidents in which staff were threatened or attacked outside their place of work as a result of confronting troublemakers whilst on duty.

Just six months ago Skipton was described a "Jekyll and Hyde" town - a beautiful tourist attraction during the day but full of fighting and problems at night.

Now, these new strict measures appear to have curbed the violence.

The association also wants to warn under-age drinkers that they will not get served in any of their pubs.

Members have agreed to be extra vigilant and staff have been trained to look out for under 18s and to ask for identification.

The spokesman said it caused less embarrassment and unpleasantness if people who looked under age carried some form of identification. The pubs will accept passports, photo driving licences, and Prove It cards.

Anyone without identification, who staff think are under-age, will be asked to leave.

"We are only doing our jobs," said the spokesman. "We are abiding by the law and don't want any unpleasantness so it is better if they carry some form of identification."

The association will also be on the lookout for people taking bottles and glasses from the pubs. Anyone carrying glass onto the streets will be stopped before they leave and asked to drink up and leave the receptacles behind.

Skipton Inspector Tad Nowakowski said officers would also be targeting people carrying glass in the street after a couple of incidents, which could have been serious, occurred during the World Cup.