TWELVE people are today banned from all of Felixstowe's seafront nightclubs and pubs – but The Evening Star cannot show you their faces.The drinkers are serving exclusions under the new Nightsafe scheme, which aims to crackdown on drugs, drunkenness and disorder.

TWELVE people are today banned from all of Felixstowe's seafront nightclubs and pubs – but The Evening Star cannot show you their faces.

The drinkers are serving exclusions under the new Nightsafe scheme, which aims to crackdown on drugs, drunkenness and disorder.

But while licensees don't want these troublemakers in their clubs and pubs because of the trouble they cause, their crimes are not severe enough for their names and photos to be released to the public.

Details of the banned drinkers, and in some cases photographs of known convicts, and drug pushers, have been given to the management and door staff of all the resort's licensed premises, but the police say the information is confidential.

In the ten months since the scheme was launched, a total of 21 people have been given bans from three to six months – and police are delighted that those who have been punished have not re-offended and been given second bans.

The ultimate sanction is a lifetime ban and no-one has come close to this yet.

"It obviously hurts these people who are banned quite a lot – where they drink and socialise is obviously very important to them," said Felixstowe police commander Insp Andy Bushell.

"A few of them have pleaded to have their ban cut reduced after a few months, trying to show how well they have behaved during that time.

"We are very pleased with how it is working."

A committee of landlords, police, councillors and residents' representatives decide on the bans as extra punishment for those involved in drink-connected incidents in the seafront area.

Names and details of people arrested in connection with incidents inside or outside licensed premises, including vandalism, fighting or rowdiness in the town, are given to the group to discuss in private.

The committee tries to take a reasonable view when determining how long a ban should be, and the circumstances of each case are taken into consideration.

It has the option to send a warning letter for a first incident, or look at bans for three to six months or longer, perhaps extending a ban for a second or third offence. A lifetime ban would be for extreme cases or repeated misbehaviour.

The people concerned are sent a letter and their details circulated to all premises.

"Everyone involved in the licensed trade on the seafront is behind this and I am very pleased with the enthusiasm so far for the Nightsafe project and the way the community and licensees have embraced it," added Insp Bushell.

Nightsafe was launched last month to rid the town of violence and push out the pushers and try to attract people to enjoy its nightlife.

Special radios have been issued to link all licensed premises so details of trouble, drunks or drug pushers can be passed swiftly to all landlords and doormen.

n Have you been banned from Felixstowe's pubs and clubs? Let us know what you think of the punishment. Contact Felixstowe Newsdesk on 01394 284109 or richard.cornwell@eveningstar.co.uk