Police get heavy on glass bans

Police warn licensees in Fareham, Hampshire, to ditch glass or face the consequences

Licensees who refuse police requests to switch to plastic glasses face a licence review if trouble subsequently breaks out in their premises.

The "get tough" message has been issued to licensees in Fareham, Hampshire, following a recent glassing incident.

Hosts have been told, in the form of a recorded delivery letter from the police, that if glassing incidents occur on their premises, police will seek a licensing review with the prospect of restrictive conditions being placed on future trading.

The letter was circulated to licensed premises by the area's alcohol crime reduction team boss Roy Jennings.

The letter states that police consider one glassing incident "one too many" and urges pubs to switch to polycarbonate containers.

Licensees ignoring the request have been left in no doubt that the police will take action if there is an incident involving glass.

The letter was condemned by the British Beer & Pub Association, which said the move looked like a back-door attempt at a blanket ban.

Director of communications Mark Hastings said: "While we would support the targeted use of polycarbonates, we remain opposed to turning Britain plastic. We would urge the police to use a properly targeted, risk-based approach to this issue."

Police forces countrywide are now openly advising pubs to switch to plastic glasses with a number even providing licensees with free samples to encourage them.

Most say they are only targeting high-risk town and city-centre venues with a high-energy clientele, but concerns are mounting over a threat of blanket proposals covering whole areas.

JD Wetherspoon operations director Nathan Wall said: "There has been a fairly consistent approach by police in the various meetings we have held with them.

"They have said that licen-sing reviews remain an

option, although Fareham appears to be the first instance of this being spelt out in black and white.

"We are resisting plastic because it will turn away responsible drinkers from many pubs and we will be left with ghettos populated by people who do not care what they drink out of.

"This has been taken up by the police and rolled out without any proper consultation with the industry."

Managing director of Marston's Inns & Taverns Derek Andrew said the advent of plastic glasses would be yet another burden on an over-regulated industry.

"Where do we draw the line? We'll be nailing furniture to the floor next or banning darts because they could be used as weapons." he said.

camra backs ma's petition

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has thrown its weight behind the MA's petition against blanket glass bans. The online petition to Prime Minister Tony Blair is now live - go to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/plasticglass/ to sign it.

The petition states: "We feel blanket bans on glass are unnecessary and will have a detrimental effect on the licensed trade and the drinking experience of the millions of law-abiding pubgoers in well-run establishments up and down the country."

Camra is to urge its members to sign the petition in its magazine What's Brewing and through email alerts.

A Camra spokesman said: "Serving beer in a plastic glass cheapens the product. Would you serve a quality claret in a paper cup?"