A biometric project that scans drinkers' thumbprints before they enter a pub has helped cut alcohol-related crime in the South Somerset town of Yeovil, England.

The South Somerset District Council said it has seen a 23.5 percent drop in alcohol-related violent crime inside licensed premises in Yeovil since the system was introduced, compared with figures from the same period last year.

Under the pilot project, every drinker must supply a thumbprint, name, address and date of birth before being allowed to enter any of the seven licensed premises in the town center using the technology.

A drinker barred from one pub is then automatically barred from all pubs using the system.

A spokesman from the South Somerset District Council said the thumbprint technology is considered to be a contributing factor to the decline in alcohol-related crime.



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