Eight people were arrested in a police crackdown on booze-fuelled bad behaviour in Walsall town centre – including a soldier who was absent without leave.

Police were out in force in the town centre on Friday night, using police dogs to sniff out drug users. It is part of Operation Be Safe, which aims to protect revellers  in the town’s nightspots each weekend.

Six of the arrests were for drug-related offences, one was for being drunk and disorderly, while the last was for being absent without leave from the armed forces.

Sergeant John De-Hayes, from the Walsall Borough Licensing Team, said: “Walsall town centre has the capacity of catering for around 10,000 people of a night time in the various pubs and clubs.

“Less than one per cent of these people cause us a problem, which shows that the majority of visitors want to enjoy a fun and safe night out.

“By providing a high-profile presence, we manage to locate and nip most problems in the bud.”