A NEW bar crawl operator has started up in Newquay to compete with the town's self-proclaimed Biggest Bar Tour, it has emerged.
The news was greeted with dismay by the chairman of the resort's main residents' association, who says he is sick of "drunken idiots" dragging the town down.
Believed to be named Newquay's Ultimate Bar Tour, it will see reps on the streets encouraging people to sign up to that night's 'tour' of town hot spots.
Police inspector Ian Drummond-Smith said he had spoken to the organisers, who agreed to sign up to a voluntary code of conduct.
Among other things, the rules cap the number of people per tour, ban reps from drinking booze and prohibit sexual games such as lap-dancing, for which a separate licence is needed.
Mr Drummond-Smith said: "There's no legal apparatus for regulating commercial bar tours but I'm glad this company has agreed to sign the voluntary code of conduct.
"If they're going to operate here, we'd rather have them here with some rules."
Bar tour operators currently do not need to seek a licence to shepherd revellers around pubs, clubs and bars, but Mr Drummond-Smith said that, along with the town's safety partnership, Newquay Safe, he hoped to bring about change.
"Newquay Safe continues to call on the Government to introduce a system of licensing such commercial ventures," he said.
The Cornish Guardian has been unable to contact the operators of the new tour, and the Newquay Association of Licensed Premises (NALP) has also been unavailable for comment.
However, Dave Sleeman, of Newquay Town Residents' Association, said: "This is the last thing we need. One is bad enough.
"This town needs to improve its image rather than worsen it. This is the sort of thing we marched about back in 2009. People want to be able to walk down the street without seeing a bunch of drunken idiots causing problems."
He also said there should be a clamp-down on people touting and drumming up business in the streets.
"It drives you mad," said Mr Sleeman. "People can't walk in peace."
What do you think? Are bar tours a problem or a harmless source of revenue for the town's night-time economy? Get in touch.