POLICE have come up with a radical plan to pedestrianise parts of Derby city centre between 10pm and 4am.

The aim is to help reduce the number of violent incidents involving late-night revellers.

Senior officers believe banning vehicles from Victoria Street, Cheapside, Wardwick and The Strand would create more space for drinkers, leading to a more relaxed atmosphere and reducing the risks of alcohol-fuelled fights taking place.

Superintendent Gary Parkin, commanding officer for Derby, said the more space that people have, confrontations are less likely.

"Crowd dynamics suggest that people behave differently in large groups. That, coupled with the alcohol factor means you have an increased risk of violence," he added.

He said the force was in "very early" discussions with organisations such as the city council.

Officers believe preventing vehicles from entering parts of the city between 10pm and 4am would make it safer for visitors.

Preliminary

talks between the city council and police have taken place to look at

pedestrianising Victoria Street, Cheapside, Wardwick and The Strand to

make more space for revellers.

As well as reducing violence, police say the move would reduce the risk of pedestrians being run over by vehicles.

Under the scheme, all vehicles, including buses and taxis, would be banned from areas of the city centre.

At

the moment, there are taxi ranks in Victoria Street and The Strand.

Officers say they would look at either keeping those ranks in place or

creating four new ranks at the corners of the city centre.

Taxi marshals would be used to direct people to those ranks.

Although the plans have received some support, they have received a mixed reaction from businesses and cabbies.

Wayne Taylor, general manager at Coyote Wild, in Victoria Street, does not believe the idea would work.

He

said: "As it is, customers from our business can get straight into a

taxi because they are right outside. If the taxis are taken away, it

will leave people to hang around and fight with each other.

"It

is a really bad idea. We're going to have people walking around the

city centre, bumping into each other and having the opportunity to

cause trouble."

Javed Khan, from the Derby Area Taxi Operators' Association, also voiced concerns about the idea.

He

said: "I think the only way to cut down on violence in the city centre

is to have more police officers. I can't see how creating more space is

going to help matters.

"I would also have concerns about the

safety aspect of trying to get large numbers of people from the centre

of town to areas where the taxis are."

Mr Khan believes cab

firms could lose out if the plans go ahead. He said: "If people have to

walk further to get a taxi, they might not bother.

"I think this

whole idea will be too difficult to police. At the moment, parts of the

city centre are for buses and taxis only, but you get normal vehicles

driving in those areas."

Between December and February, there

were 256 violent incidents in Derby city centre, compared with 244 for

the same period in 2008-09.

Superintendent Gary Parkin, a

commanding officer for Derby, said: "People behave differently when

they are in crowds. Couple that with the alcohol factor – and a lot of

people in the city centre at those times will have been drinking – then

you have an increased risk of violence.

"There have been

examples of people being involved in violence in the city centre when

in their normal, everyday lives, they would never dream of it.

"Other

force areas, such as West Yorkshire, have done it [a vehicle ban] in

some of their city centres and it has helped to protect the nighttime

economy."

Supt Parkin said the force was in "very early" discussions with organisations such as the city council.

He said: "The thought process is at an early stage.

"We

could look at leaving the taxis in situ or potentially place them at

the four corners of the city centre, so taxi marshals and other visible

guardians can direct groups towards those areas."

Dave Lalor, chairman of Derby and Derby City Pubwatch, believes the idea would work well.

He said: "This could encourage more people to come into the city centre and enjoy the bars, pubs and clubs.

"As

well as reducing the risks of violence, it would reduce the risk of

people who are worse for wear stepping in front of vehicles and

injuring themselves.

"I can't see that this can have any kind of negative effect on the nighttime economy. It is something I would support."

City councillors have also suggested that the idea would need some consideration.

Liberal Democrat councillor Lucy Care said: "In principle, I have nothing against this.

"However, we would have to look closely at the logistics of accommodating buses and taxis during those times."

Harvey

Jennings, leader of Derby Conservative group, said: "In principle, I

think it is a good idea. It would have to be closely looked at to

ensure it was viable.

"We want to work closely with the police to make the city centre safe and this is something we would look at."

Labour

councillor Dave Roberts said: "Any initiative suggested by the

emergency services that would improve the city as a destination would

need serious consideration.

"We would want to be part of the group looking at those initiatives that are beneficial to the people of Derby."