According to the London24 website, a total of eight Romford business have started using a Clubscan machine to help stop alcohol-fuelled fights.
Pub bosses are hopeful that this will help weed out troublemakers, but many people in Romford are unhappy about the invasion to their privacy.
Gidea Park resident Paul Gilligan was unable to enter a pub last week as he didn’t have his ID and was unable to use the machine.
“It’s like Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four,” he said.
Many business owners admit that they’re happy to work with the police to implement the system, and so far, they’ve seen positive results.
Jose Martins, who manages Romford nightspot Kosho, said: “It’s been really helpful to us, cutting down crime in our club, so I would recommend it.”
However, not everyone’s happy with the new arrangement – Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, believes that keeping tabs on drinkers is problematic.
“In reality, this system has the potential to track people’s socialising irrespective of whether they cause problems or not,” he said.
Image credit: Thinkstock
