Child's play to calm down clubbers

Theme tunes from favourites like Mr Benn will be played

The theme tunes to children's television shows have been unveiled as the latest weapon to tackle violent crime in one UK city.

Clubbers leaving late-night bars in Leicester will be treated to tunes from productions such as The Magic Roundabout, Mr Benn and The Wizard of Oz as doormen hand out different-flavoured lollipops.

It is clearly a funny idea but it demonstrates just how creative we are going to be in exploring all opportunities to prevent violence in our city

Inspector Daimon Tilley

It is hoped that by occupying the hands and minds of people as they leave a club, they will be less likely to get into violent and drunken confrontations.

The idea was proposed by Leicestershire Constabulary's city centre violence and disorder team after Home Office figures confirmed that the city was the most violent in the UK outside of London.

Inspector Daimon Tilley, policing commander, said: "I got the idea from an American professor of psychology I met on a course.

"His argument was that if such music was played as people leave a club, instead of a thumping beat, those people are reminded of their childhood and will not want to seek a confrontation."

He added: "I have absolutely no idea whether it will work or not. It is clearly a funny idea but it demonstrates just how creative we are going to be in exploring all opportunities to prevent violence in our city."

"It's a great idea. We have got to try anything that puts people in a happy frame of mind

Wesley Osborne
Club manager

The pilot will concentrate on four bars in the Churchgate area of the city - Kudos, Zanzibar, Branigans and Undecided.

If the four-week trial is a success, it may be introduced city-wide and possibly by other forces across the UK.

Wesley Osborne, general manager of Zanzibar, said: "It's a great idea. We have got to try anything that puts people in a happy frame of mind."

The idea of distributing lollipops at the end of a night out is not new.

The same initiative was successfully implemented late last year at a nightclub in Bideford, Devon, to reduce noise being caused by drunken clubbers roaming the streets after closing time.

Complaints of rowdiness were dramatically reduced outside the University of London's student union when the same ploy was used.