BARRED pub goers who ignore their bans will face longer away from the bar as police and publicans crack down rising town centre crime.

Cirencester’s pub owners met last week to discuss the Behave Or Be Banned Scheme (BOBS) which bars nuisance pub goers 12 months.

Members of the scheme are concerned about a rise in unruly behaviour in the town centre on Friday and Saturday evenings, partly caused by people banned under BOBS “flouting” their bans.

The publicans decided that anyone caught breaching their ban or being abusive to staff members would face an extra three month away from town centre pubs.

The move comes after police reported that assaults had risen from 39 to 68 compared to the same period last year.

Reports of anti-social behaviour, however, have fallen.

Sergeant Garrett Gloyn of Cirencester Police Station said: “We are working hard to address this rise. This month we commence a new staffing commitment to have an additional two police officers working between 9pm and 5am in the district on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The officers will be available to address disorder and anti-social behaviour and will be visiting licensed premesis.

Currently, 21 people are barred from the pubs that participate in BOBS.

Sergeant Gloyn added: “We support the scheme whole heartedly and wish that all Cirencester pubs and bars were members.

“Where a banned individual enters a member pub they are not necessarily committing a criminal offence but if they don’t leave police officers may be called on to assist in ejecting them or dealing offences linked to their language or behaviour."

The Talbot licensee and scheme chairman David Hollis, said: “Since May 2001 the BOBS, in conjunction with Cirencester Police, have been trying to achieve a safe and comfortable environment for all our customers.

“BOBS members would like to invite any other licensed premises to join the scheme, in order to strengthen the fight against abusive behaviour.”