A PUBLICAN who was subjected to a ‘prolonged and frenzied attack’ has called for more pubs in Hyndburn to join a pub watch scheme.

John Mainland was repeatedly punched by Elliot Scott Mounsey as he tried to stop him taking a glass outside the Cross Axes, in Church Street, Great Harwood.

The 21-year-old, of Petre Crescent, Rishton, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Mainland, damaging a door at the pub, being drunk and disorderly, and resisting a police officer outside the Calder Pub in Accrington later the same night.

Mr Mainland said the attack had unsettled him.

He said: “I wouldn’t say I was frightened but I have been on edge over the festive period.

“I have not enjoyed it at all.

“Fortunately, this does not happen on a regular basis.”

Mr Mainland said pub in Great Harwood, Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors, and Accrington, operate a pub watch scheme, which means if a punter is banned from one pub, they’re barred from them all.

But some publicans refused to join the scheme, and freely allow customers banned at other pubs through their doors, Mr Mainland said.

He said: “We need all the pubs to work together to enforce it, but some just serve who they want to serve.

“You generally find they are the ones who have to call the police more often because of trouble.”

The police can also apply to the courts to have somebody convicted of a violent offence in a pub to be banned from those premises.

Mr Mainland’s attacker, Mounsey, will be breaking the law if he goes into the Cross Axes during the next 12 months.

He was made subject to a curfew between 6pm and 6am for 13 weeks, fined £100 and ordered to pay £430 compensation to Mr Mainland as well as £145 costs.

Licensing sergeant for Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen and Ribble Valley, Jason Middleton said: “The police encourage all responsible licensees to attend their local Pubwatch meetings as it demonstrates good management and a commitment to ensuring their premises are a safe environment for people who want to go out and enjoy themselves.

“Working together, the pubs can collectively ban those people who cause problems, allowing others to socialise without fear of trouble.

“The police work alongside our local Pubwatches with the sole intention of making our pubs and town centres safer places for people to visit.”