A nightclub outside which a string of violent attacks have taken place is to start breathalysing customers who appear too drunk.
The management at Brighton nightclub Shooshh have teamed up with Sussex Police to implement the measure, which is already in operation in other UK cities.
From tomorrow, the club will ask clubbers who appear too intoxicated to blow into the breathalyser, and if staff believe the reading is too high, they will be refused entry.
The limit has been set at twice the drink-drive limit.
Albie Saliba, the manager of Shooshh, said: “It was meant to be a trial run, but we have bought the machine instead of hiring it, and so we are going to run with it.
“We want to set standards in this city and the main thing for us is public safety.
“We’re a landmark on the seafront, and it sometimes seems every time there’s a problem here, it’s described as outside the club.
“But it’s never inside the venue. We don’t let the wrong crowd in.
“We don’t want to let people in who are too drunk and cause problems or who are vulnerable and then they have one or two more drinks and then they leave.”
Jean Irving, Sussex Police’s head of licensing and public safety, said: “We are very supportive of this step taken by the management of Shooshh as it sends out a very positive message that they are not willing to put the safety of their customers at risk by letting in those who are excessively drunk.
“This is not about preventing people from having a drink and a good time but encouraging them to drink responsibly if they are going out.”
Sergeant Ben Hearth, from the Brighton and Hove police licensing team, said: “The vast majority of people who go out in Brighton and Hove have an enjoyable time without causing any trouble for themselves or others.
“However a number of people do drink excessively and then find themselves getting into arguments or fights that a more sober person may not. Drinking heavily also makes people vulnerable and increases their risk of becoming a victim of a crime.
“The Shooshh initiative is a very positive one which we are hoping other venues in the city will adopt.”
