Maidenhead & Windsor

A new Pub Watch scheme has been set up covering licensed premises on the western side of Maidenhead.

Boyn Hill Pub Watch had its inaugural meeting at the Pond House pub in Bath Road, Maidenhead, on Thursday 2 February. The meeting was attended by designated premise supervisors (DPS) from pubs in the area, as well as licensing officers from Thames Valley Police and the Royal Borough, and neighbourhood police officers PC Glenn Chapman and PC Steve Wilkinson.

Dave Smith, DPS of the Crooked Billet pub in Westborough Road, was elected as chairman, with Dave Hallaways of the Pond House as vice-chairman. Other confirmed members so far are the Crawford Arms, the North Star, the New Inn and the Queens Head in Water Oakley, although a number of other Maidenhead licensed premises are expected to join in the near future.

Police licensing officer Debie Pearmain, who instigated the scheme, said: “We have three other Pub Watch schemes in the Royal Borough - in Maidenhead and Windsor town centres and Dedworth - but Boyn Hill is the first to be set up in the outskirts of Maidenhead.

“Dedworth Pub Watch has been running successfully for four years. Its chairman, Richard Woodham of the Black Horse, and vice-chairman Aidan Straw from the Three Elms, gave the meeting a very helpful overview of how their scheme runs. We also had a presentation from the Royal Borough’s licensing officer, Steve Smith, on the new Licensing Act.”

The types of initiatives that come under the Maidenhead Pub Watch umbrella include information sharing, especially of photographs identifying known troublemakers. Maidenhead Pubs and clubs can issue banning notices, the length of which depends on the seriousness of the offence. Individuals banned from one pub are likely to be turned away by all other Pub Watch members. If a person ignores the ban, police will be called and the person can be arrested for failing to leave licensed premises.

“Boyn Hill Pub Watch expects to hold meetings every two months, with the next one planned for the end of March,” said Debie.

“They will be looking to work closely with other Pub Watch schemes in the Royal Borough as well as the one in Slough town centre, particularly with regard to banned individuals. All these schemes have a good record of reducing disorder and making our towns safe places to visit.

“Once Boyn Hill Pub Watch is up and running, my next project will be to look at setting up a similar scheme for licensed premises in Ascot.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Maidenhead