PUB bouncers are to patrol Durham taxi ranks in a bid to curb early-hours trouble as revellers spill out of pubs and nightclubs.

The trial scheme starts tonight and will see door staff from premises in North Road, the city's drinking hot spot, keeping an eye on the queues at the street's two ranks.

It will operate on Friday and Saturday nights, when the city traditionally is invaded by groups of young people from the city's outskirts and surrounding villages.

North Road is home to two nightclubs, the Walkabout Australian theme pub and other hostelries that all call time at 2am.

Taxi queues are often the scene of trouble, when fights break out over queue-jumping and arguments that started earlier in the night.

Door staff from North Road premises will don special jackets and keep an eye on the taxi ranks between 1am and 3am and alert police to any trouble erupting.

Police hope the voluntary scheme will reduce the number of fights they have to break up and also make revellers, particularly women, feel safer after a night out in the city.

Sergeant Tim Robson, the police's substance misuse officer for Durham and Chester-le-Street, said similar schemes operated in other parts of the country, using community wardens.

"They are not there to take on board the police's job. They are there to create a safe environment, they are supporting police officers.

"It was an idea that came out of the forum we have in North Road. In other areas, street wardens do the job.

"If anything raises its head, they can call police through Pubwatch radios. It will be down to the police to deal with violent incidents. They can move in and separate people. It is in the common law that we all have a duty to do that.

"If people can leave licensed premises and feel safe and get to the taxi safely, they will feel better about going to the premises next time.

"It sends out a positive message that any unruly behaviour will be dealt with."