Thomas: 'plastic will save £200,000'

The UK's biggest nightclub company, Luminar, has reported it expects to save about £200,000 a year in insurance claims when it introduces polycarbonate glasses throughout its estate.

The company, headed by Steve Thomas, has polycarbonate glasses at 16 venues, with the rest of the estate seeing them arrive within the next 10 months or so.

Thomas believes the savings will come through the end of minor claims for cut feet by customers who have taken their shoes off and walk on broken glass. Such claims tend to be for small amounts and currently fall below the company's insurance excess.

He said: "The introduction of polycarbonates is cost-neutral: polycarbonate costs a bit more than glass, but lasts longer.

"We had polycarbonates imposed upon us by a couple of local authorities - then we looked into the issue further and decided they're not bad.

"If a premises has a potential for problems, why wouldn't it introduce polycarbonates?" Customer reaction to polycarbonates had been positive, he said.

Thomas added that he thought the trade had lost out so far because it had failed to present a united, coherent policy to the authorities.

"We should be taking policy to Government," he said.

Thomas has previously indicated that certain venues, such as food-led outlets and country pubs, should be exempt from polycarbonates.

His comments came as Luminar reported that like-for-like sales for the 19 weeks to 12 July 2007 were up 12.9% for its branded dancing sites.

The smoking ban has had "minimal impact" on sales and profitability since it was introduced in England on 1 July 2007.

Luminar has 117 units, excluding those in development and sub-let units.