Three town centre pubs have been awarded Best Bar None accreditation after having their work towards creating a safe and secure environment for their customers recognised.

TJ’s, The Goose and The Robert Pocock Wetherspoons in Gravesend all achieved high scores during independent assessments which recognised they had training, policies, and procedures in place to make their venues safe for customers.

The Best Bar None accreditation scheme which was first introduced in Manchester in 2003 to promote responsible management and operation of licensed venues was recently launched in Gravesham in partnership with Kent Police.

Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, deputy leader of Gravesham council, said: “Best Bar None is a unique way to showcase our commitment as a community to work together to maintain the highest standards of safety and enforcement, ensuring everyone can enjoy the best that Gravesham has to offer in our pubs, bars and licensed premises.

“Our night-time economy has changed over many years, with the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis accelerating these changes.

“However, thanks to the work we and partners, including Kent Police, have carried out over recent years, the level of recorded crime in Gravesham is reducing across almost all crime categories.

“This fails to be reflected when social media posts and speculation exaggerate issues which, in reality, are limited and often connected to issues outside the borough, and this only serves to have a negative knock-on effect on our local economy.

“Working with Best Bar None accredited businesses allows us to target our resources and efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour and ensure we have a safe town centre and a borough to be proud of, and help our business and our twilight and night time economy to grow again.”

Dorota Trapl, Gravesham council’s Best Bar None assessor, said: “The process to become accredited is easy and we support venues through it by providing training and support.”

Iris Smith, of TJ’s in in Milton Road, said: “The assessor team was helpful, supportive, and answered all of our questions.

“I carried out the assessment in the morning and by the afternoon I had received my accreditation, assessment report and display materials.

“The accreditation recognises the measures in place to ensure a safe environment for those visiting our pub.”