CAUSE trouble and we'll throw all we can at you, is the message from Barnstaple sector inspector Toby Davies.

Section 30s, Section 27s, Anti-social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) and fixed penalties: this is just some of the police jargon I hear on Saturday night, all of which I'm told attempt to quash the same thing — anti-social drunks.

Dubious as to their effect, I accompany the Barnstaple police on a night out in the centre.

The first prong of Operation Assure is to have more police officers and police community support officers on the street, Inspector Davies tells me. And there is no arguing with that.

From 8pm, there is a visible police presence on the street. Two pairs of officers on foot; one response van and three cars rotate the town centre.

I'm not sure of the need for this at such an early stage, but I'm assured this early presence is as important as being on guard when the venues close.

Inspector Davies said: "If people see us early in the night before they start drinking, they know we're here. It tends to deter them from causing trouble later on."

And this appears to be true.

We walk through town, peering into the various watering holes, gauging the atmosphere in Barnstaple on this muggy, unpredictable night.

Some venues are hosting parties; some expect large crowds, some expect a quiet night. Mental notes are made of which venues should be visited later on.

Although the atmosphere is jovial through most of town, a trio of young boys cause trouble outside a town-centre shop early on.

Communication between the officers reveals the boys were part of a crowd given warnings earlier in the night. Officers are told to keep an eye on their whereabouts.

Officers are then alerted to another venue where a birthday party is being held for two sisters who are not yet 18.

The parents are already apprehensive about how the night will pan out. They have sent some kids home already, they say.

But two hours later when the police reappear, the father is thanking the officers. The guests had been "good as gold" since the unexpected police visit, he said.

And it's not just what's in front of them which the police react to. Operation Assure asks officers to think laterally, Inspector Davies says.

PC Richard Preston finds out from Facebook that a party is poised to take place in the woods near the Old Torrington Road in Roundswell.

Police cars and police tape is immediately sent to the area.

PC Preston says: "We don't want to stop them having fun, but if police are visible, they know we are watching them. It's preventative."

The party, for an unknown reason, does not materialise.

As 11pm approaches, we circulate the town's drinking venues.

The atmosphere in town is growing slightly rowdier, but door staff still have no issues.

The police chat to different revellers — girls in fancy dress, a group visiting from South Wales, passers-by. No group seems alarmed by the vast police presence.

The three lads from the earlier altercation come to the officer's notice again.

This time, they are given Section 30 orders, preventing them from coming back into town for 12 hours.

With some difficulty, they evacuate the area. They are not seen again that night.

In total, seven Section 30s are handed out throughout the night. I see for myself that seven potential instances of criminal activity or unwanted behaviour have been avoided.

A couple of men given Section 30s on Friday night are also stopped from re-entering the area.

The quiet night then takes a turn. A brawl involving some 30 people takes place in a bar in Boutport Street, which spills out onto the road.

Police are called by door staff, and within minutes, nine officers are on the scene.

The initial storm is calmed quickly and a man and woman are arrested.

The venue thanks the police and agrees to close its doors immediately. Inspector Davies said the pair were later given an £80 fixed penalty.

And at the end of the night, police are also called to an out-of-town address where a man is alleged to have threatened people with a bread knife. That man is now on police bail.

Inspector Davies said: "There is still a minority who drink to excess and persist in anti-social behaviour, and it is this minority we are targeting.

"But I feel those people that don't already come out at night would be pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable many of North Devon's locations can be at night."

Inspector Davies said the initiative was taking place in the same way across the whole of North Devon, particularly Bideford and Ilfracombe.

The aim, he says, is to use more community punishments. One man, who committed an assault in a pub, has already been banned from all North Devon licensed premises, he said.