A NIGHTCLUB has tackled town centre violence by handing out free toast to town centre revellers at the end of the night.

Police said there has been a noticeable improvement in drinkers' behaviour since Liquid and Envy, Blackburn, started giving away the tasty snack to people leaving the venue.

But takeaway staff have been angered by the move, which they say has slashed their takings and led to people using the restaurants as warm places to eat their free food.

The St Peter Street club has been giving away free toast to punters on Friday and Saturday nights since before Christmas and has now started handing out food on Wednesdays too.

Deputy manager Rachel Ainscough said: "As part of our continued efforts to enhance customer experience and add value, we decided to hand out pieces of toast at the end of each night.

"Crazy as you might think, the response has always been great. We have even found that even customers that are staying until the very end of the night, when the lights are turned up, love to grab a piece of toast on their way out.

"There's even requests coming in that they would like jam, Nutella and all sorts spread over the toast."

PC Steve Finley, Blackburn' licensing officer, said pubs and clubs had a responsibility towards the safety of their customers even once they have left. Officers believe the toast scheme has led to a reduction in violent incidents in the town centre.

He said: "People leaving the club smell the toast in reception and it makes them wander over. It is amazing the number of people who will stand there waiting for it.

"Everybody likes to get something for free. They are all going out happy. As a result there has been less disorder - people don't want to fight because they don't want to drop their toast. It also means they just get straight in the taxis outside and head home rather than hanging about.

"The police have a very good working relationship with Liquid. There is a lot of police presence around the club because it is the main place to go late at night. The club has introduced several initiatives but this one has been particularly successful."

Dr Tom Smith said: "There is no evidence that toast, either the smell or the taste, triggers something in the brain that stops people being aggressive, it is all hearsay. It is a social thing rather than a medical or a chemical thing because it is a distraction - and it is much harder to hit someone if you are holding something in your hand."

Many clubs across the UK hand out free sweets to people leaving the building, but it is thought that Liquid is the first to hand out free toast.

PC Finley added: "There is an element of risk with things like lollipops because people can choke on them if they are drunk.

"Toast seems to sober them up and the smell is quite comforting."

But handing out toast has led to fewer people buying food from nearby takeaways.

Idris Hasan, manager of Oasis fast food, in Darwen Street, said that the scheme had affected his custom.

He said: "People come here with toast and then they order a burger or a kebab - but people also come in with toast in their mouths and then just sit there eating it, without buying anything else.

"It's not a good idea. I'm sure it has affected all the takeaways."

Quadeer Ahmed, manager of the Happy Haddock said he and his staff still suffered regular abuse from drunken customers.

He said: "I have seen more fights in here in the last two months than I have in the last two years.

"It is not on for people to come in and start shouting at people behind the counter or breaking chairs.

"Free toast doesn't seem to have stopped them doing it - they just come in here with it in their hands and behave the same way."