PUB landlords in a New Forest town have joined forces with police in the fight against yobs.

Fourteen premises in Ringwood and neighbouring villages have signed up to the Pub Watch Scheme. Now, if a troublemaker is banned from one pub in the area, they will be banned from all the others.

Pub Watch enables police to issue bans and exclusion orders to people who commit criminal offences on or near licensed premises.

Anyone who is banned faces having their photo distributed to members of the scheme so they are recognised and not admitted.

Ringwood town beat officer PC Caroline Warren said: "The aim of the scheme is to help ensure that those people who wish to enjoy a night out in Ringwood can do so without their evening being disrupted by disorderly behaviour.

"Working with the licensees of Ringwood we can take positive action against those responsible for disorderly and violent behaviour by banning them from all Ringwood pubs.

"We believe this scheme sends out a strong message to would-be troublemakers that antisocial and violent behaviour will not be tolerated in our town."

PC Warren said that the scheme has been launched as a preventative measure. "There is not a lot of trouble in Ringwood," she said. "But there are always the odd few that can spoil it for others. We want to make sure Ringwood stays a nice place to live, work and drink."

The premises signed up to Pub Watch are The Crown Tap, Finn McCouls, Inn on the Furlong, The Elm Tree, Fish Inn, Lamb Inn, Legends Cue and Sports Club, Hunters Lodge, London Tavern, The Original White Hart, Railway Hotel, Ringwood Social Club, Star Inn and White Hart.