BUSINESS leaders in Liverpool last night called for the introduction of a “Zero Tolerance” private security force across the city centre.

Lobby group Downtown Liverpool in Business believes a privately-funded security outfit is needed to match the security presence in Grosvenor’s Liverpool One development, which opens at the end of next month.

The call follows a poll by the group of almost 1,500 business leaders, which showed that a massive 86% of them would support a zero tolerance policy in Liverpool.

DLIB chairman Frank McKenna said: “Our improved night-time economy is leading to an unacceptable level of anti-social behaviour, from vomiting and urinating on our streets, noise pollution from irresponsible bars, through to violent crime.

“The police’s performance in tackling crime in recent years has been impressive, yet the perception of the city to those outside is still negative, and locally the fear of crime is increasing.

“The new Grosvenor develop-ment will be policed by private security guards 24/7 to ensure such activity is not experienced within Liver-pool One’s bound-aries. What our members are demanding is a similar approach throughout the city centre.

“Why would you go outside the boundaries of Liverpool One, which will be a very safe place, into the rest of the city?”

Mr McKenna suggested busi-ness rates could help fund such a force adding: “The retail sector pays a supplementary rate as part of the Business Improvement District (BID). Why can’t that be ring-fenced for extra security?

“This is the city’s Capital of Culture year and we could use this signal from the business community to do some really imaginative thinking about how to deal with these issues.”

The view partly shared by Phil McCabe, of the Forum of Private Business (FPB).

He said a survey in 2005 by the financial protection specialist AXA showed 34,000 small busi-nesses in the UK had to close because of crime and Liverpool was not immune.

He said: “Creating conditions for the inward investment the city needs to compete with its nearby neighbours is vital, but there is an element which appears intent on destruction.

“The FPB is certainly calling for more visible policing, particu-larly at night, to combat burglary and vandalism. Smaller busines-ses are often the hidden victims.”

But many agencies that operate to combat crime in Liverpool say that measures are already making a significant impact, and that an independent force would not help.

Superintendent John Martin, from Merseyside Police, points out that latest figures show anti- social behaviour in the city centre has reduced by 18% between April, 2007, and February, 2008. Violent crime had reduced by 25% for the period April, 2007, to March, 2008, compared to the same period the previous year.

He said: “The city centre Joint Agency Group specifically addres-ses these issues and we are work-ing with local businesses, includ-ing licensees and retailers, and Liverpool City Council, to address crime and disorder issues which affect people living and working in, and visiting, the city centre.”

Peter Jones, who runs Business Crime Direct on behalf of Liver-pool Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are well aware that police statistics do not tell the whole story, particularly at the lower end of the scale where businesses do not have the time to report the daily grind of anti-social behaviour and vandalism which is symptomatic of British society.

“We very much agree with Mr McKenna’s point about the per-ception of the city from outside, but would point out that the council’s annual city centre per-ception survey shows that percep-tions are generally improving.

“Our pub watch manager has received national awards and interest for some of the ground-breaking initiatives he has introduced, such as taxi marshall-ing and pub watch bans for drunk drivers. We think that the city just has to work harder than anyone else to improve its image.”

Crucially the Chamber, as the official voice of the city’s business community, does not go along whole-heartedly with DLIB’s call for a private security force.

Mr Jones said: “Most organisa-tions in the city centre – the universities, hospitals, retailers, bars, and shopping centres – have their own private security forces without having resolved the anti-social behaviour problem.”

In fact, he adds, the Chamber is campaigning for the police Gold Zone to patrol Liverpool One in addition to their own security force.

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