FESTIVE revellers leaving clubs and pubs over Christmas will have something sweet to suck on as they make their way home.

Lollipops will be handed out to people as they make their way home as part of West Mercia Constabulary's campaign to target alcohol-related crimes.

Operation Christmas Presence was launched earlier this month and aims to make the festive season safer for everyone living in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Telford and Wrekin by clamping down on crimes such as drink-driving, drink-spiking and drink-fuelled violence.

As part of the campaign, West Mercia has issued 70,000 lollies to licensed premises. Door staff and police officers will hand out the jolly lollies' to revellers as they leave pubs and clubs and make their way home.

Chief Insp Paul Moxley, who is leading Operation Christmas Presence, said: "This initiative was originally piloted in Shropshire in the summer of 2005. It was adopted after studies in other parts of the country proved that giving revellers a lolly to suck as they leave pubs and clubs can help to reduce the number of violent incidents and alcohol-related crime and disorder. "The lollies pacify people and deter them from taking part in aggressive behaviour.

"It appeared to work well and we received positive feedback from the pubs and clubs involved in the pilot, so we have decided to use the lollipops as part of Operation Christmas Presence.

"We will be working closely with the Licensed Victuallers Association, licensees and door staff to ensure alcohol-related crime and disorder is kept to a minimum this year.

"We will have extra police officers conducting high-visibility patrols out on the streets, who will work with undercover officers in pubs and clubs in order to stamp out alcohol-related crime.

"If people want a jolly lolly this year they need to remember our simple message that they've got to be good to get one."

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