WORCESTER nightclub owner Steve Bradford says it may be worth quitting the Faithful City if opposition to a drinks promotion wins the day.

The curious view comes after police parked outside his Images club in the early hours of Thursday morning.

It's not for us to say whether or not they were there, as he claims, as part of a tactic to pre-empt a meeting on the promotion next week.

But we do think the police are right to be unhappy at his plans and want to discuss them because, try as we might, we can't see the wisdom in encouraging mid-week club-goers to consume as much as is humanly possible for the price of a tenner.

Nor can we agree that the only time you'll enjoy yourself here is when you decide to move or die.

Is Mr Bradford really saying that the only way to have fun is drinking yourself silly? We hope not, because the balance of life in a city like Worcester always involves a vibrant night culture, and always should.

It's just that no community can live a truly balanced existence where things are done to excess.

As for the link between alcohol and trouble, that doesn't need any proof.

Mr Bradford should remind himself that, even if his customers leave the vicinity without letting themselves down, they all have to reach home before the rest of the community can sleep easily, taxi-drivers included.

Let's not forget either that, over the years, many people have grown to believe that Worcester's a dangerous place to be after dark. The perception is understandable. But the truth is that the majority of trouble is confined to certain areas.

Well-oiled clubbers - whether merry or malevolent - are intimidating. They might not see it that way, but that's how the rest of us see them.

The police would be entirely wrong to misjudge the potential for a £10 drink-all promotion, wherever it might be. And they'd be wrong not to act on their fears.