A business group is playing a more active role in encouraging better behaviour in the pubs of a north Yorkshire town.

Harrogate BID is providing support behind the scenes to the town’s Pubwatch scheme, as well as funding.

Earlier this year, the BID team began monitoring the Pubwatch app for those venues using it and helping with any incident reports and banning orders.

Matthew Chapman, BID Manager at Harrogate BID, says Pubwatch does a great job in creating a safe and welcoming environment and BID’s support is taking some weight off the Pubwatch committee.

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Anyone that causes any trouble in a Harrogate pub or bar can be reported on the app, which could then lead to a banning order across the town lasting from a few months up to a ‘lifetime’ ban. If a person is banned from one venue on the scheme, they are banned from them all.

The technology provides instant information on anyone that has caused any issues within the town so that they can be excluded or denied entry to avoid any further problems.

There are currently more than 50 venues signed up to the Pubwatch scheme in Harrogate, with the hope of growing this further in the future.

The owner of one of those is Alan Huddart, who also acts as Chair for the Harrogate Pubwatch.

Alan said: “Harrogate Pubwatch is grateful for the continued support of Harrogate BID both in terms of their financial and administrative support of the scheme. 

“Their ongoing funding ensures that venues can participate in the information sharing process without any cost, which makes Harrogate Pubwatch such a success in combatting violent, antisocial and other disruptive behaviour in the town's many licensed premises.

“There are currently 55 venues in the scheme and 77 people are banned from entering all participating sites, for a whole range of reasons from taking or dealing drugs to carrying weapons.”

The BID is hoping to work alongside the Pubwatch scheme to launch a series of new campaigns to support pubs and bars across town in 2025. Further developments with these plans are likely to be launched in the new year.

Any venues looking to sign up for the Harrogate Pubwatch scheme should email the scheme on either hgpubwatch@gmail.com or info@harrogatebid.co.uk