Nottingham police charge pubs for policing

A new proposal to force licensees to pay for extra policing has been slammed as "unfair" by the industry.

Nottingham chief constable Steve Green has warned licensees in the city that if they don't pay for policing he will continue to oppose licence applications for new "superpubs". He argues there are not enough resources to police the streets on Friday and Saturday nights.

His words have sparked fears that other police forces and local authorities could go down the same road of asking pubs to pay more.

But the British Beer & Pub Association has accused the chief constable of pointing his finger in the wrong direction.

Spokesman Mark Hastings said: "He should knock on Chancellor Gordon Brown's door - not ours. The fact that the issue was left out of the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill shows that the government has agreed that the industry already pays enough in taxes and business rates.

"Forty per cent of what a pub takes over the counter goes back out in taxes, levies and other charges and sales of alcohol raise more than £12bn to spend on things like policing."

The Anti-Social Behaviour Bill was published last month. To the relief of the industry, plans to make licensees pay for policing were absent but it does include proposals to give councils greater powers to tackle nuisance behaviour. And it appears there's nothing to stop local councils and police introducing their own schemes.

Nottingham's move angered licensees in the city. Bar and club operator Luminar Leisure has five venues in the centre. Spokesman Jon Brett said: "There is existing taxation which applies to business premises and takes into account the nature of that business. A venue that provides public entertainment is already charged a significant fee for a public entertainment licence.

"The absurd suggestion of introducing new taxation by the back door is undemocratic and would be resisted by any fair-minded person."

But chief constable Green has already raised objections to a new Zanzibar and a Tiger Tiger because he says he has concerns about his force's ability to cope.

Moves to charge the licensed trade for additional policing and council services first began in September last year when Middlesbrough Council said pubs could be forced to pay up to £8,500 for litter collections and extra policing.

Licensee Steve Goodie said at the time: "We more than pay our way through massive rates and taxes. The Home Office needs to raise funds for policing elsewhere, rather than putting the onus on publicans."