THE three Bs that have ruined Pickering - beware, behave or be banned.

Dare anyone go against them 'Hell No'! This is the mafia of a small market town. The Landlords rule OK.

If half the public houses were to close down it would go unnoticed, because most young people (and not so young) choose to drink out of Pickering or stay at home. When you do go out there are no pleasant greetings, there is certainly no atmosphere and no one is encouraged to enjoy themselves.

Anyone who does overstep the mark is not just chastised in that particular pub but banned from them all. The incident does not always involve the police or even a court appearance. But the kangaroo court of the LVA who can ban you anywhere from one year to life. 'How long is life?' I once asked, but to no avail. At least if you murdered someone you get the chance to explain why, and you are told how many years you must serve for the crime.

But please, can anyone tell me who protects the punter from the landlord because sometimes a little bit of power is dangerous, especially in the wrong hands.

People who live in a close community need to be treated with more respect, then probably the outsider who calls himself a landlord would also get more respect.

Updated: 11:43 Wednesday, September 11, 2002