BOLTON town centre on Friday and Saturday nights is no civilised place for anyone over 40 to be.

It's the time when the young take over -- short sleeved lads keeping the hair gel industry buoyant and girls wearing in total no more than a yard of material, throng Deansgate and Bradshawgate.

They're doing what people in this town, and most towns and cities have always done: Having fun at the weekend.

There is nothing wrong with this. Everyone needs to be able to let off steam, and meeting friends over a bottle or two sounds about right.

Unfortunately, there are now so many clubs, pubs and bars on an acknowledged drinking route which starts at the top of Bradshawgate and wends its way around the town centre, that there are hundreds of youngsters enjoying a good time indoors and outdoors. And it gets rowdy.

This has been causing concern for some time, and police wanted licensees -- who, after all, directly benefit from this large moving crowd of revellers -- to take more responsibility for their customers.

Now, licensees around popular Nelson Square have responded in the most positive way with a plan to employ their own security guards to oversee the area at night.

Each licensee will be asked to make a contribution to pay for this, and to help with the cost of policing the town centre. Their security men will be trained door staff, in a recognisable uniform, who, we hope, will not prove heavy-handed in their treatment of passing punters. This sounds like the right way forward for dealing with a burgeoning town centre night-time economy.

These days, simply supplying customers with alcohol and entertainment and hoping everything on the streets is fine as a result is just not enough.