Pubs toast success of safety crackdown

They were marking the first year of operation of the Best Bar None scheme, which aims to make a night out in Doncaster town centre a safe and comfortable evening for all - and 71 per cent of the town’s licensees have signed up to the scheme.

Best Bar None’s first anniversary was marked by a lunchtime get together at Lazarus Walk’s Manana, Manana bar, hosted by former Coronation Street star Mr Walker.

Richard McIvor, owner of Manana, Manana, which won the best bar prize in last year’s BBN awards said: “I think Best Bar None has had a great first year. It’s great that it has got most of the town’s licensees together and introduced a real community spirit to the night-time economy.

“We’ve certainly seen more customers since the scheme started and the best thing is that they don’t just visit once - they keep coming back.

“Obviously it’s not got everything right yet but given that it’s only been going a year it’s certainly helped to make the town a safer place to go out and Doncaster’s heading in the right direction.”

The Best Bar None scheme, which is run conjunction with the police and Doncaster Council, provides training for the town’s bar staff, organises designated driver schemes, leads initiatives to combat underage drinking and publishes a guide to Doncaster’s nightlife.

Marc Jones, landlord of Baileys on Cleveland Street, said: “I think Best Bar None is a great idea.

“I’ve been a licensee for nine years but it’s certainly taught me a lot.

“I base a lot of my own training on the training provided by Best Bar None. I’m a big believer in the scheme.”

South Yorkshire Police Chf Insp Ian Chorlton added: “Doncaster is becoming a phenomenal place to go out and enjoy.

“Best Bar None is not just another accreditation, it’s a challenge to improve the way the town does business. We want to create an ethos of continual improvement and businesses can rest assured that the police will help them all down the line.”

Andy Constantine, the BBN co-ordinator, said “BBN started in Manchester and when we were starting up the Doncaster version I went over the Pennines to see how they ran things.

“We’ve had such a success in town that Manchester police recently got in touch with me to ask if they could come to Doncaster to see how we do things! They’ve realised they need to run things the way we do.”