Saturday night. You've washed your hair, put on your best threads and met up with your friends. You walk into the pub and, to your horror, it's totally empty.

The creators of a new website launched this month are hoping to eliminate such social blunders by giving online access to your favourite local.

So far six Whitbread pubs across London, including The Hendon in Hendon, have signed up to the scheme.

The internet site www.viewpub.com contains a live webcam feed between 6pm and 11pm.

This means you can check out the pub without stepping out of your house.

Drinkers can also watch themselves from a TV in the corner of the bar.

Creator Simon Heap, of Seeoutside Ltd, said: "It's giving pubs their own television channel.

"Pubs are traditionally slow-moving environments when it comes to technology we wanted to try to change that."

The site is still in its early stages but the system could eventually see inter-pub karaoke contests and quizzes, he added.

Drinkers at The Hendon, in Hendon Way, gave a slightly wary thumbs-up to the scheme.

Student Sarah, 18, from Hendon, said: "It seems like a great idea. I'm not sure I'd want my mum seeing me out though."

Robert, 26, from Finchley, added: "Walking into an empty pub is a nightmare. This could end that."

Assistant manager Jonas Holmborg said: "It gets people in when they can see what's going on here, especially on a Friday and Saturday night when its busy."