TIME will be called on badly-behaved drinkers thanks to a new Pubwatch scheme in Oxford.

Landlords have joined forces with police to launch the initiative in Cowley in time for Christmas.

So far seven pubs have signed up to the scheme, which helps licensees share information about problem customers and acts as a deterrent to bad behaviour.

The scheme, co-ordinated by Pcso Anna McCormack, brings the landlords together once a month to meet police officers and share information.

The scheme also means that drinkers misbehaving in one pub could find themselves barred from all those taking part in the scheme.

Steve Dean, landlord of the Cricketers Arms in Temple Road, said he was happy to get involved.

He said: “It’s a good thing for pubs in the area to be backed by the national Pubwatch scheme and be able to share intelligence.

“We don’t tend to have problems in the Cowley area but this is something that’s advised by the police and the licensing authority and it’s good to be part of the system should anything arise.

“From now on if there’s a problem the police are involved.

“The police can issue photos of offenders to the rest of the pubs and the person in question can be contacted by the Pubwatch committee and be banned from all the Pubwatch pubs in that area.”

Along with Mr Dean’s pub, the Prince of Wales, Cowley Workers, the Original Swan, William Morris, the Fairview Inn and the Jolly Postboys are taking part.

Police officers hope more publicans will soon sign up.

Pcso McCormack, a member of the Cowley neighbourhood police team, said: “It’s ideal to let people know about this scheme just before Christmas. We want people to go out and enjoy themselves and not have it spoilt.

“A lot of people using the pubs that have joined Pubwatch live in the neighbourhood, but there are also people living nearby who don’t necessarily drink in the pubs but who we want to instill confidence into that we will prevent problems from happening.”

The Cowley scheme will be Oxfordshire’s 19th Pubwatch network, with the others operating in Oxford and towns around the county.