Action urged over marathon pub crawl tours

So called "valley runs", some of which are advertised on the internet, see groups of up to 50 people, many on stag nights or 21st birthdays, taken to several villages around the Tanat Valley near Oswestry by bus.

The trend has become increasingly popular, Llanfyllin town councillors were told at a meeting last night.

They were told that while some valley runs went off without any problems, public disorder and petty thefts as revellers tried to take a souvenir from each pub visited had become a problem for police.

Llanfyllin Constable Gayle Jones told councillors police were looking at ways of cracking down on the trouble created by the boozed-up travellers and an initiative could be for each party to pay a certain amount of cash upfront and the money would only be returned if no damage was caused to property and no petty theft was reported.

The meeting heard the trips were often advertised on the internet by firms from outside the area and drinkers from Shropshire and Cheshire were coming to the valley to take part in the booze runs.

Constable Jones said: "We are working with the bus companies and the organisers.

"We are trying to make sure we have the names of the organisers of the trips so we can go back to them if there are problems.

"Some people have been taking items from every pub."

Councillors suggested that the bus companies should be asked to provide an escort to each party to make sure they behave responsibly. Constable Jones said: "That is up to the bus companies. Some find it hard to get escorts. Our concern is the number of them and the frequencies."

The meeting heard that despite the boost to pub takings, not every publican in the Tanat Valley welcomed the tipsy travellers who often upset the locals or families dining in the pubs.

Constable Jones said: "Not all the publicans want it. They suddenly have 50-odd people all lairy and loud.

"It is one drink and they have gone. They have gone and left a scene of destruction."