TOWN centre bars think violent crime is defeated despite the police asking for a licensing review at Panama Jacks.

Bar owners think stronger policing and more co-operation has cut violence, after a peak in the past couple of years.

And they had some sympathy, though not much, for Panama Jacks on Bridge Street, which is trying to combat the police claim that there has been an inordinate number of thefts and incidents of violence' at the bar.

One owner said: "It's tough for them if what the police are saying is not true. But if it is, it needs addressing. This might be the start of a new, stricter approach to keep everybody on their toes."

They added: "With the police presence on the streets, the violence situation it has improved a lot. Because there were no police on the streets before the new licensing laws, people thought there was not a problem but it was always there."

Jeff Arnold from Panama Jacks has put up a notice saying the bar had co-operated with police when informed of the incidents, and that it had not been informed about the majority until the review was ordered.