Responsible initiatives impress Jowell

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell visited the Laurel-owned RSVP bar in Bath to hear about its social responsibility initiatives.

Hugh Brooker has managed the RSVP for 11 years, and has been chairman of the Bath Bar Charter Group (BBCG) for the past two years. He won a Morning Advertiser Responsible Drinks Retailing Award last year.

Said Brooker: 'Tessa Jowell was impressed by some of the (BBCG's) ground-breaking initiatives designed to prevent alcohol-related violence and disorder. These included a scheme to provide trained taxi-rank marshals, which has made a former hot spot into a safe area.

'Marshals ensure an orderly queue for taxis at the end of the evening and the scheme, which is funded by Bath licensees, has been so successful it has been rolled out to Bournemouth, Manchester and Bristol.'

Brooker and his group, who provide liaison between licensees, residents, the police and bodies like the Students Union, over issues affecting Bath's late-night economy, provided additional street marshals last Christmas, and plan to repeat the success this Christmas.

'I did mention that these initiatives require funding, but she didn't bite!' said Brooker, who spoke to Jowell for five minutes.

A new Bar Safe scheme in Bath will involve banning orders, ranging from a month to life, depending on the severity of the incident in which they are involved, being placed on troublemakers.

Licensees will be able to use a password-protected website to see who is banned from all licensed premises, to ensure that they are not inadvertently served in any pub or club in Bath.

Julian Sargeson, chief executive of Laurel, said: 'Pubs have had a pretty rough ride in the media in recent months, and there have been many headline stories about alcohol-influenced antisocial behaviour in general. These issues have to be tackled, and we must respond to the current climate and changing social attitudes.'