Police chiefs are hailing new figures, showing that violent incidents in Moray pubs have halved during the past year.
Officers have arranged special operations in the region to work closer with premises to tackle rowdy behaviour.
They visited more than 60 bars across the north-east last Friday to promote safe drinking in the run-up to the festive period.
Last night, Gordon Cowie, vice-chairman of the Moray Licensing Board, welcomed the efforts being made by the police, but insisted more still needed to be done.
The Buckie councillor said: “We seem to be getting cooperation from the bars, which is the most important thing, because it’s for their good, too.
“What we really need is an officer back at the council who is able to go round all the premises, so they can see where the hot spots are. Fortunately, that is coming back soon.
“Buckie is the same as everywhere else in the region. It certainly still needs to be looked at, you still get the same bother on a Friday and Saturday night.
“But it looks like the police are starting to get on top of it now.”
Officers are presenting the latest figures, stretching from April 1 last year to the end of March, to Moray Council’s licensing board tomorrow.
Statistics recorded 13 incidents of disorderly conduct at pubs, including a refusal to leave the premises, 11 reports of customers being too drunk in bars, and four attempts by people to enter venues after having drunk too much alcohol.
Nearly 600 premises in Moray have been visited by officers to root out violence and anti-social behaviour. Police have pinpointed a drop in assaults as a result of the operation.
In a report for the committee, Chief Constable Phil Gormley claimed a crackdown by officers had led to safer pubs in the Moray area.
He wrote: “In comparison to the previous year, this reporting period has seen a marked reduction in all categories of offence, with the biggest drop being where disorderly conduct on licensed premises has dropped from 27 to 13 recorded offences.
“This is an encouraging trend.”
