ALMR chief blasts Telegraph over drink smuggling advice

A trade leader has blasted the Daily Telegraph for encouraging students to smuggle their own spirits into pubs and bars.

Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, has written to the paper after an article by a graduate highlighted how she had saved money at university by taking her own drinks into pubs.

In his letter Mr Bish (pictured)​ called for people to "spare a thought for the licensee".

He added: "It is his (the licensee's) responsibility in law, and indeed his job depends on it, to ensure that drunken customers are not served alcohol.

"He and his staff cannot possibly measure or control this if the orders at the bar are not for the drink consumed.

"And that excludes the petty deceit of defrauding the business from income it has a right to expect.

"We are not amused by clever ideas that undermine our reputation with our neighbours and with the police - and leave us out of pocket to boot!"

Martyn Goulding, licensee at the Original Oak in Leeds, which has a high proportion of student drinkers acknowledged it was a problem, but it was not exclusive to students.

"It happens across all different groups," he said. "We have a lot of women in their late 20s who come in with a spirit bottle in their handbag and top up their drink from that.

"We are a very big pub and just have to accept it goes on, but we always keep our eyes open and anyone who is found smuggling drink in is ejected."