Licensees have joined forces with police and Chorley hospital in a bid to stamp out verbal abuse and bad behaviour from boozed-up patients.

Under the scheme, revellers who are admitted to the A&E department will be banned from all 22 Pubwatch premises in Chorley if they behave badly.

The plans are expected to be introduced later this year and pub bosses believe it will be an effective measure to crack down on drunken violence and anti-social behaviour.

Peter Verhaege, chairman of Pubwatch in Chorley, said: "It's aimed at people who have been drinking in town centre venues and need hospital treatment on their night out.

"If they turn on hospital staff and become violent or threatening then they could be banned from all town centre pubs.

"We want to make it clear as a community that we will take strict action against them and want to send out a very strong signal that this is unacceptable.

"It would effectively ruin their social life and it is one of the strongest signals we can send out to people - if you are given a ban you would have nowhere to go in the town centre so I believe it would be a good deterrent.

He added: "Everybody who works at the hospital should be able to do their job without having to face abuse or even violence, with being abused verbally or physically.

"We are in full support of hospital staff and therefore think that this is a

"We all know that alcohol makes people lose their inhibitions and often brings out the worst in them, but they should stop and think before they turn violent and become anti-social towards other members of the community."

Chorley Council is also part of the initiative, which is believed to start in September.

A spokesman for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "Preliminary discussions have taken place on this issue but nothing has been agreed at this stage."

Coun Iris Smith, chairman of licensing at Chorley Borough Council, said: "I can understand it and I think it's something to be welcomed.

"Pubwatch work proactively with Chorley Council and the licensing department.

"There's no excuse for people turning on hospital staff. Anything that acts as a deterrent is to welcomed."