LANDLORDS in Bury are striving to keep crime to a minimum by relaunching the town’s Pubwatch scheme.

The initiative, a partnership between the local authority, police and licensees, is expected to be up and running again in the next few weeks.

Pubwatch has been fundamental in decreasing crime levels in the town centre over the past few years. But it was put on the backburner recently due to the ill health of the scheme’s chairman.

Now, landlords and officers are relaunching the scheme, with a meeting due to be held to find a new chairman. Vice-chairman Michael Fish, landlord of the Two Tubs, said: “Pubwatch is an ideal way to share your views, to find out what’s going on and put things into motion. Thanks to Pubwatch, last year we had new policies so we all operate a no-drugs policy, challenge 21 and 25 on the door, CCTV and extra door staff who are SIA (Security Industry Authority) approved so all the pubs are doing their best to combat crime.”

Last month, the Bury Times reported how an organised criminal gang had used the town centre club scene to run a drugs enterprise.

Six men were jailed for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs as a result of a three-year police investigation dubbed Operation Vestry. The operation was launched in response to concerns from the public that crime gangs were operating in Bury.

Police increased spotchecks of pubs and clubs, fire officers carried out strict health and safety checks, a ‘knife arch’ was introduced and the Pubwatch scheme was relaunched.

Crime levels dropped and a number of prosecutions were brought. From 2008 to 2009, incidents of serious violent crime in the town centre dropped from 267 to 249, dropping to 134 in 2010.