Clubbers will be banned from taking handbags and coats into a string of city nightspots in a bid to reduce thefts and tackle terrorism.

Sussex Police has written to a series of central Brighton venues under a plan to slash crime during the summer months.

Operation Clear Space will be launched in July after a series of meetings with the owners of the city's largest clubs.

Although no venue will be forced to take part, police will be strongly recommending that operators do so.

Clubs where hundreds of revellers congregate each weekend such as Tru, formerly Creation, Oceana, formerly Event II, the Funky Buddha Lounge, The Zap Club and The Beach will be police officers' focus for the pilot.

Police are concerned that despite warnings and a number of high profile arrests, stolen handbags still account for 25 per cent of all thefts in the city.

The Honeyclub, in King's Road Arches, Brighton, imposed a ban on handbags last August after a string of thefts by organised gangs.

Thieves travelled to Brighton and Hove from London and targeted party-goers at the 1,000-capacity venue, taking mobile phones, cameras, purses and bags.

Stolen passports, credit and identity cards were then used for identity fraud.

Thefts were almost eradicated at the venue after the introduction of the strict measures and the scheme has been heralded as a success.

Police initially said the ban would not be extended elsewhere but now believe that it will help cut crime.

Under the new scheme, clubbers will be able to take in only purses, small clutch or wrist bags, while all other bags will be left in the cloakroom.

Inspector Bill Whitehead, head of licensing in Brighton, said: "It is a bit of a drag for people going out to have to leave their bag in a cloakroom but unfortunately we think it is necessary.

"The people who are stealing the bags are the same handful who are going around many of the clubs and the money is getting used to fund drugs.

"The policy at the Honeyclub had a dramatic impact in terms of reducing the number of thefts and we will be working with the operators of the premises to recommend that all bags are left in cloakrooms.

"Looking at the statistics it is very clear that few people have items stolen when they leave them in the cloakroom."

With mounting concern about terrorism and the recent jailing of five men, two from Crawley, who had planned to target the Ministry of Sound nightclub in London, police also believe that a ban would help tackle the bomb threat to city venues.

Inspector Whitehead said: "The policy is also to tackle the potential security risk - the nail bomber in London targeted this sort of venue, there was the Bali bombing and the group of people who were recently convicted of targeting a nightclub.

"We do need to be aware and vigilant around this."

Thefts from bags, known as dipping, and handbag thefts have dropped in Brighton and Hove since police launched Operation Barker, targeting the gangs involved.

In the year to April 2005, 237 handbag thefts were reported, while in the 12-month period to April 2006 the number had dropped to 145.

Figures for the year ending April 2007 were not available last night but 360 thefts from clubs were reported of which only 21 were alleged to have taken place from the cloakroom.

Police are also bidding for funding to install small "talking" boxes in women's toilets which will warn against leaving bags unattended.

If the bag ban pilot scheme is successful over the summer months it is likely to become permanent and could be extended.

When the ban was imposed at the Honeyclub, Steve Honeysett, managing director of Honeyclub's owners Central Entertainment, said: "We want our clients to have the best possible night out and we cannot allow the activities of professional thieves to spoil that."

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