A PUB watch scheme introduced to curb the growing menace of drunken and anti-social behaviour has been praised by the Home Office.

Burnley Against Night-time Disorder features in a Home Office report as one of seven examples of how to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder that other towns and cities should adopt.

The Home Office report entitled Alcohol Audits, Strategies and Initiatives, praised the scheme for increasing visitor numbers, filling empty premises and reducing violent crime.

And today the chairman of BAND, Jimmy Nelson, said he was pleased with the findings.

He said: "It is very good. We have been at it for three years now and it is one of the best in the country."

Since its launch in 2000, the report says night-time visitors to the town had doubled.

The self-funded partnership between Burnley Council, the police and town centre licensees includes representatives from the town centre management team, the Royal British Legion, taxi firms and the drugs outreach team.

It introduced several initiatives to cut violence and anti-social behaviour, including banning persistent offenders from all licensed premises for up to a year.

The report also praised the scheme for forging closing closer links between the partners.