REVELLERS in Kingsbridge are being breathalysed before being allowed into the local nightclub in a bid to reduce antisocial behaviour.

Coast Nightclub on Lower Union Road, Kingsbridge, are currently running the initiative to identify people already significantly drunk and refusing them entry to the venue.

A spokesman for Kingsbridge Police said: ‘It is a means to identify people who are already significantly under the influence of alcohol and may therefore cause problems later on.’

The idea has already been implemented in partnership with police and licensed premises in Torquay with the #RU2Drunk scheme, which saw a 22 per cent drop in violent crime across the town during the trial, according to figures released by Exeter University in February.

The breathalyser equipment and training is supplied by Devon and Cornwall Police who say it ‘gives staff an extra tool to help them make those decisions regarding entry that they already make on a regular basis.’

One of the problems this kind of initiative will tackle is the practice of ‘pre-loading’ or ‘pre-drinking’, where people drink less expensive alcohol at home before going on a night out, generally in a bid to save money.

This means that people can be quite sozzled before they get to the pubs and clubs in the area, causing trouble but not spending that much money in the local nighttime economy.

A study by Liverpool John Moores University found that those who pre-loaded were ‘2.5 times more likely to have been involved in a fight’ in the city during the previous 12 months.

The spokesman for the police continued: ‘The idea is to assist licensed premises in providing a safe and enjoyable experience for their customers and to prevent antisocial behaviour or alcohol related crime both inside and outside the premises’.