Troublemakers have been warned they could face a ban of up to five years from all of Ludlow’s pubs after licensees voted for a new Pubwatch scheme.

Pub bosses said there had been an increasing number of anti-social behaviour incidents in the town and the turning point came for them when one of the landlords was attacked.

Landlords will be issuing bans to the worst offenders who are guilty of anti-social behaviour, violence and drug-taking.

The scheme is set to spring in to action this week and it will involve not only the town’s pubs but also shops which are licensed to sell alcohol in Ludlow.

Scheme chairman Simon Patrick, who is the licensee of the Old Bull Ring Tavern in the town, said the group would be handing out bans ranging from two months to a maximum of five years and offenders would be barred not just from one establishment but from all the pubs in the town.

Licensees will be using a ‘ring-round system’ to warn other landlords trouble could be on the way.

Mr Patrick said there had been an increase in anti-social behaviour in the town in the last few years, including violence, rowdy behaviour and drug-taking.

He said of the attack on the landlord last autumn: “When something like that happens it should be dealt with in a firm way.”

Mr Patrick said: “There has been an increase in anti-social behaviour. I used to stand and watch from my window and it was better than the telly!

“We are all going to stick by each other. It is the first time in many years that all the licensees and landlords are getting together. It does not matter which pub the problems are happening in.”

Mr Patrick added: “We are going to be fairly tough on our policies so any anti-social behaviour and drug use will not be tolerated.”

He said: “I know people who are frightened to come out at a certain time because they are so scared of the kids.

“We are responsible for people’s safety. It is a lovely town but, the way things have been going, it is going to ruin its reputation.

“The message is that this is for everybody’s safety and to show everybody that things are going to change.”