News from the hospitality industry

Facewatch to be free in bars and pubs for crime prevention purposes

A new not-for-profit company has been set up in order to provide Facewatch to pubs and bars for free.

The scheme, which used to cost licensees around £1 a day, is designed to help prevent low level crime in establishments selling alcohol.

Set up by Simon Gordon of Gordon's wine bar, the crime-reporting database will allow businesses to share CCTV images with the police more easily.

Mr Gordon said: "I am very pleased to chair this exciting initiative which enables the police and businesses to work closely together to reduce low level crime and help to make our communities safer."

Facewatch & Partners is to be chaired by Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas and the web based system allows staff to report crimes immediately, attach any relevant evidence such as CCTV footage and obtain a crime reference number straight away.

Schemes which link establishments together in order to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour are helping to make bars and pubs better places for customers and staff and Pubwatch is another initiative which aims to achieve this.

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