Police and clubs are launching a pilot scheme to enable doormen to breath test revellers they suspect are intoxicated so they can bar them from entry. The limit for testing “positive” will be set at around twice the level for the drink driving limit. Officers hope the scheme will cut down on binge drinking and “pre-loading” where young people get drunk on cheap drinks before going out. The measure is one of several initiatives being launched by the Met in an effort to tackle rising rates of violent crime in London. Figures show that while most crime in London is falling, the number of violent offences is rising rapidly with increases of up to 39 per cent in some boroughs. Senior officers believe some of the rise is explained by more thorough recording of offences but admit there has been an increase in drink related violence in town centres. The initiative also follows concerns over safety in some London clubs. Fabric nightclub was saved from the threat of closure last year over four drug-related deaths after bosses were ordered to bring in tough entry conditions, including having to hire seven sniffer dogs. The Met launched Operation Equinox in an attempt to reduce the number of violent offences by targeting pubs, nightclubs and fast-food outlets. One initiative is to use breathalysers to screen people getting into clubs. Police have tested the idea in a small number of clubs in Croydon and now plan a more organised pilot scheme in six different London boroughs. Chief Inspector Gary Taylor said the anecdotal evidence from clubs in Croydon showed it was a success. He said: “They have told us that it did help reduce violence and confrontations involving door staff. The breathalyser helped to stop people who were persistently trying to get into clubs when they clearly had to too much to drink. “The breathalyser helps to reduce the number of arguments when door staff refuse entry to someone who is intoxicated. In the past door staff would get involved in long arguments with people who were refused entry. People who were arguing with staff were more likely to accept the results of the breathalyser.” London nightclub impresario Mark Fuller, who runs the Embassy in Mayfair, welcomed the idea in principle but warned police not to set the limit for the breath test too low. He said: “I think it’s an excellent idea. I think most violence in clubs comes from people who have had too much to drink and it will create a level playing field. It is a bit Big Brotherish but it will be one rule for all. If you get someone with loads of money who is completely pissed then they do not get it. “But the opinion of the authorities on alcohol levels compared to what the average person consumes in a night are quite adrift. Club going is meant to be a fun night out so I hope they don’t try and take the fun out of it.” Police say it is too early to say if the device helped to reduce levels of violence. A similar scheme has been run in Norwich where signs titled “Are you trollied? #DeepBreath” are displayed in venues explaining that clubbers may be required to take a breath test as a condition of entry. Story via Evening London Standard

LAS VEGAS – It’s official: Conor McGregor will go after Jose Aldo’s featherweight title in July at UFC 189. McGregor (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) led off his fan Q&A at Friday’s UFC 183 weigh-ins with the announcement, saying he had just finalized his deal to fight Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) for the champ’s 145-pound belt. UFC 189 takes place July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as part of “International Fight Week.” Although an official statement of main-event status was not announced, the bout is likely to serve as the headliner on the pay-per-view main card. “I’m going to rip that Brazilian’s head off,” McGregor said. “I’m calm, composed and I’m ruthless. This is just another man in my way. I feel he cannot finish his dinner, let alone an opponent. If it goes to five rounds, I’ll be more than ready. But it just takes one clean connection from me and it’s done. That’s proven.” Following McGregor’s main event win at UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston less than two weeks ago, UFC President Dana White said the Aldo-McGregor bout was being targeted for the promotion’s Memorial Day weekend card. But it appears that event will be headlined by light heavyweight champ Jon Jones against Anthony Johnson, with Aldo-McGregor in the summer. McGregor beat Dennis Siver with a second-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 59, keeping him unbeaten in the UFC. This past September, he took out Dustin Poirier with a first-round TKO, and in July, in his home city of Dublin, the Irishman who has taken the MMA world by storm stopped Diego Brandao in the first round. Aldo, meanwhile, continued his lengthy tear over the featherweight division in October when he beat Chad Mendes a second time, this time needing five rounds to beat him by decision instead of taking him out in the first round like he had done 20 months prior. He won the WEC’s featherweight belt in 2009 and has defended it nine times since then – twice in the WEC and seven times in the UFC. He’s widely considered one of the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Story via MMA Junkie

It looks like we're another track closer to Kanye West's new album... Following on from releasing 'The Only One', a surprise collaboration with Paul McCartney, in the final moments of 2014, Yeezy and the ex-Beatle have now teamed up with Rihanna on a new track. Called 'FourFiveSeconds', it's a mellow affair featuring West and Rihanna duetting over laidback acoustic guitar and McCartney's organ playing. The track - which also features Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth and Ty Dolla $ign, according to Stereogum - was previewed at the iHeartRadio summit in Los Angeles, where Kanye surprised the audience at the music industry conference with a surprise, stream-of-consciousness speech about his career. As Billboard reports, the rapper showed up with a laptop and proceeded to describe his "responsibility to innovate" and not to repeat himself musically. He also discussed working with Paul McCartney and recalled asking the legendary musician (Warning: typical Kanye controversy alert): "What was the pussy like in the' 60s?". According to Billboard's witness: "He finished by playing one new song: a duet with Rihanna that featured acoustic guitar and a big, soaring chorus and melody with a massive hook. He then slammed his laptop shut and walked offstage to a standing ovation." It's unclear if 'FourFiveSeconds' is to feature on a new album from Rihanna, Kanye West, or both but we do know that it's not the last we'll hear of the hip hop star's work with McCartney. A statement following in the wake of 'Only One' touted it as "the first publicly available recording from what has become a prolific musical collaboration between these two legendary artists." Story via Triple J

A YOUNG mother and her baby were refused entry into a top Dublin restaurant, because the manager doesn't want children disturbing other diners. Well-known restaurateur Robbie Fox defended his decision to turn Caireann Smyth and her 15-month-old daughter Ava away from Belucci's restaurant in Ballsbridge. "I don't like refusing people, Mr Fox said. "Nobody can afford to be refusing people from their business, but the problem we have here is that at lunchtime between 12 and 2, it's very, very corporate "The last thing they want is to have a child in the restaurant." Ms Smyth (32) told the Herald of her embarrassment of being told to leave by the manager. "I had my daughter in the buggy and Robbie, the owner, came up to us and said, 'I'm sorry but we don't allow children in at this time, but that we were welcome to come back in the afternoon. "He just said that there is a no children policy and I didn't press him any further because there were quite a few people around. "It was quite embarrassing for me, being told to leave in front of a busy restaurant. We ended up going to the Four Seasons instead." Concerned over what had happened, her husband and local Fine Gael councillor Dr Patrick Smyth called the business to speak with Mr Fox. "He explained that he does not allow children into his Italian restaurant because it might disturb the bankers who eat there," Cllr Smyth said. "I said that you cannot just discriminate against children. It's a vile practice to give priority to bankers over children. "I don't care if it's legal or not, that is irrelevant. To me this is just morally objectionable," he added. Mr Fox pointed out that the restaurant's website states that it "cannot cater for children under 12" between noon and 2pm on weekdays and on any evening after 7pm. "I have children myself but this is purely a business decision that if I have children here at lunchtime then I won't have people in here doing business," he said. "It's not anti-family, because on a Saturday and a Sunday, which are traditionally family days, we more than welcome families in here. BABYSITTERS "You can't say that we are a place that's biased towards business people. It's just an environment that we try to create in the restaurant [on weekday lunchtimes], which is not conducive to children. "I don't think that it's morally objectionable," he added. Mr Fox said many people approve of his restaurant's policy saying that when the issue was previously raised on a radio station, a survey found that 68pc of listeners agreed with him. "This is why people pay for babysitters," he said. "I am of the opinion that its horses for courses. "There are restaurants that are for families and that's what they set their stall out for, and we're not one of them," Mr Fox said. Via Evening Herald