TOWN centre yobs cannot be allowed to ruin Weymouth's image, councillors have been told by the police.

Inspector Peter Meteau outlined a raft of measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and rowdiness to Weymouth and Portland Borough councillors.

The proposals presented to the council's economy and regeneration committee included making club owners prove their suitability to sell alcohol.

He said: "As soon as Beijing's Olympics are over people will be looking at Weymouth.

"We have got to start now to promote sensible drinking. "We have not got a bad reputation and we have to make sure that we protect all that's good about Weymouth.

"We're going to propose an accreditation scheme similar to what is being done in Manchester and Cardiff but for the needs of Weymouth.

"Retailers of alcohol and door staff need to be trained in how to spot someone who is under 18 or who shouldn't be served because they've had too much to drink.

"There should also be one member of door staff per hundred people in a venue."

He proposed a test retailers would need to pass in order to serve alcohol.

He said: "Retailers would have to fill out a booklet containing about 60 questions and you would have to score a certain level to be accredited.

"Within the accreditation scheme questions there would be a certain number that would have to be right."

The criteria which would have to be right would include public safety issues, the protection of children and anti-social behaviour.

He added: "You could score 150 out of these questions but if you did not score one of those areas correctly you would not be accredited."

On the subject of extended opening hours for clubs and pubs, Inspector Meteau pointed out advantages and disadvantages.

He noted the traditional two main times for violent crimes to take place in the town, between 10.30 and 11.30pm when people would move from pubs to clubs and from 1.30 and 2.30am, when people would leave clubs to go home, were beginning to change.

Referring to the effect the change in the law has had, he said: "We have already got incidences of people being assaulted later because they are drinking later."

Inspector Meteau acknowledged the town needs to act quickly on the issues of anti-social behaviour and drinking.