Pub landlords worried about the Paras causing trouble when they come to Colchester have called for a meeting with the Army.

Although licensees do not believe the Paras will be a serious problem to them, they want to ensure there is co-ordination with higher ranks in the regiment.

They have also called for a fine-tuning of the town's existing two-way radio Pub-Link scheme, which has helped cut drunken violence, so any problems can be ironed out before they escalate.

Certain troops are known to stick to certain pubs and they are worried townspeople may be put off from visiting largely Paras-only venues.

Licensees have agreed to invite representatives from the regiment to meet with them and find out about the Pub-Link scheme.

One landlord said: "The Paras are not that bad. It's the same with any battalion but we have got to make sure there is not going to be trouble that gets out of hand."

Two battalions of Parachute Regiments are due to transfer to Colchester from Aldershot next year.

They will come in two batches, first in April then August.

An Army spokesman said there had been a marked decline in trouble in Aldershot in recent years and did not expect any major problems when they come to Colchester.

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