Best Bar None - the UK's national awards scheme for best practice in the licensed trade

The scheme has already been adopted successfully in neighbouring North Somerset and Bristol. Pubs and clubs who go over and above their legal duty could win a prestigious award under the scheme.

The sort of things award-winning licensees have done include:

• offering a safe area for customers to wait for transport
• giving great staff training
• improving first aid facilities and
• showing consideration for the local environment.

Inspector Mike Ashwin is the Avon and Somerset Constabulary representative for Somerset Tackling Alcohol-Related Crime.

He said: "Somerset is a great place to go out, with a wide variety of pubs and clubs. We feel this scheme will help to make it even safer for people looking for a good night out.

"We are pleased to be bringing the police and all the Somerset councils together to work with licensees to help them become 'Best Bar None' and help keep alcohol-related crime down."

As part of the scheme, licensing and community safety officers from all the Somerset councils will join police officers at special training sessions being run by the Institute of Licensing.

The first course will run in April, aiming to train 70 people so they can assess pubs and clubs and offer tailored advice to licensees on what they can do to keep their customers safe and happy.