MA says: Stop Glass Ban Now

Blanket glass bans should be introduced in areas deemed to be at high risk of disorder - that's the call from senior police that has left the trade shell-shocked.

The fight against the polycarbonate culture now represents the next major battleground for the industry.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, Acpo lead on licensing, is behind the drive.

It is a sad day when the police dictate what vessels our customers should drink fluid from​Ultimate Leisure executive chairman Mark Jones

Six towns are believed to be seriously pushing for bans, including Northampton, Reading and Bournemouth.

At the MA's conference on Responsible Drinks Retailing last week, Chief Inspector Adrian Studd, of the Acpo clubs and vice unit, said: "Even if a premises didn't have a history of glass-related assaults, it would be reasonable to target it if this was a way of preventing disorder."​

The trade has reacted with utter disbelief.

JD Wetherspoon operations director Nathan Wall said polycarbonates posed a "bigger threat to the industry than the smoking ban".

In a customer survey, 84% felt plastic glassware adversely affected drinks quality and 73% were less likely to visit a pub using plastic glasses.

Wall said: "There's a good chance this will actually create more trouble. If you denigrate the experience of going to a pub by insisting on plastic glasses, they will be taken over by young people out to get smashed, because they are the only ones who don't give a damn."​

British Beer & Pub Association director of communications Mark Hastings said: "At a time when pubs are trying to up the quality of their offering, a push for polycarbonates would take us in the opposite direction. ​

"The police need to consider what type of message this sends out when we're trying to encourage tourism and the Olympics are coming up."

Bar Entertainment & Dance Association consultant Jon Collins slammed the policy as "lazy regulation" and "illegal" under the terms of the Licensing Act, which prohibits blanket conditions.

And he believes smaller drinks brands would suffer from being served in plastic bottles.

"If they're trying to stifle small business and restrict choice, they would succeed. ​

"You can get bigger brands in plastic, but what about niche products, such as world beers - it will be a long time before they're available in plastic."

National Pubwatch secretary Malcolm Eidmans said: "I've known premises where incidents have been reduced by putting bottle banks around."​

Ultimate Leisure executive chairman Mark Jones added: "It is a sad day when the police dictate what vessels our customers should drink fluid from. ​

"As an industry, we should work with glass manufacturers to come up with safer and safer variants of glass."

Open Letter To: Deputy Assistant Commisioner Chris Allison MBE Association of Chief Police Officers Lead on Licensing​

From: Andrew Pring, Editor, Morning Advertiser

Dear Chris,

It is a matter of great concern to the pub trade and Morning Advertiser that your organisation wishes pubs and bars to replace glass drinking vessels with vessels made from polycarbonated plastic.

We understand that Acpo is pressing strongly for the introduction of this policy now, without exemption or exception, all around England and Wales. We also understand that Acpo believes customers will accept the change in glassware without serious demur.

It is vitally important to the trade that Acpo steps back and reconsiders this approach. Plastic glasses, even of superior manufacture, cannot offer the same quality drinking experience as traditional glassware. Customers forced to drink beer and cider, wine, spirits and soft drinks from plastic glasses will not be able to enjoy or appreciate the drink as they currently can. And in-pub serving technology that delivers beer at low temperatures and in prime condition will be utterly negated by the switch from glass to plastic.

We urge Acpo to drop its attempt at a blanket ban on glass. Instead, we ask Acpo to work with the trade and construct a venue-by-venue policy approach to the problem of glass-related violence in pubs and bars.

We accept that in some situations, because of a history of violent incidents, a pub or bar may need to be ordered to switch from glass to plastic. But we believe it is wrong to disadvantage the entire pub trade because of poor management at certain establishments.

And make no mistake - your policy WILL disadvantage the trade seriously. Pubs and bars will instantly lose many of their customers if people can no longer enjoy a quality drinking experience. We urge you to reconsider.

Yours sincerely,Andrew