TAKEAWAY patrols to crack down on violence outside night-time eateries have been welcomed by councillors.

Members of City of York Council's Scrutiny Management Committee approved plans for officers to visit premises which stay open too late or regularly attract drunken and abusive customers.

As revealed in Monday's Evening Press, officers wearing fluorescent jackets and using marked and unmarked vehicles will investigate complaints about troublesome fast food outlets.

Councillor David Horton said: "There has been a lot of concern by city-centre councillors in relation to a number of establishments which breach their planning conditions.

"We have been trying to do something for a few years, and it is nice that officers have been given some protection with equipment and means of transport provided."

Ruth Sheratt, supporting scrutiny officer, said there had previously been problems with a handful of takeaways not following the terms of their licences.

But the Licensing Act, which comes into force on November 24, gives councils greater controls over fast food outlets which breach their conditions.

The Act will be enforced by community police teams, Street Scene officers, and planning and licensing enforcement officers.

An extra environmental protection officer has been taken on by the council to work out of hours enforcing the new licences, and more staff may be employed in future.

Ms Sherratt told the committee: "It will involve a closer working relationship between licensing control and development control."

Police who are called to incidents of crime and disorder in or outside takeaways can also act as expert witnesses if action is taken to revoke licences.

The committee chairman, Councillor Madeleine Kirk, said the hefty maximum fine of £20,000 or six months imprisonment for long standing nuisance was a good deterrent.

But she added: "People only generally start to take notice when someone else is prosecuted."

Updated: 12:30 Tuesday, October 25, 2005